Table 1.
The possible impact of various parameters of assisted reproductive technologies on imprinting disorders. Cumulatively all these factors may contribute to high risk of aberrant DNA methylation (the factors coming from ART and the relation to methylation have been discussed in the text in detail).
| Factors | Risk of Aberrant Methylation | References/comments |
|---|---|---|
| Age of woman | YES | Increased age |
| Age of man | MAYBE/NO | No reports |
| Ovarian stimulation | YES | [157, 162] |
| Semen sample | YES | [168-174]/decreased sperm parameters |
| Semen preparation | YES | No reports |
| Oocyte manipulation | YES | No reports |
| IVF insemination | NO | [185] |
| ICSI insemination | MAYBE/YES | [180] |
| Culture media | MAYBE/YES | [191-194] |
| Embryo | YES | [178, 179] |
| Temperature variations of incubators | MAYBE/YES | [177]/no actual reports |
| Causes of infertility | YES | [171, 206] |