Cytogenetic Analysis of 570 Couples with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: Reporting 11 Years of Experience

OBJECTIVES: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a serious complication of pregnancies, affecting almost 2%–5% of couples. Among numerous underlying causes, chromosomal anomalies in one of the partners are regarded as important issues, with varying frequencies among different populations. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities and chromosome polymorphisms in couples with a history of RPL from Kermanshah province, west of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this 11-year retrospective study, a total of 1140 cases with two or more spontaneous abortions were recruited and studied according to standard cytogenetic analysis. RESULTS: From a total of 1140 reviewed blood samples, 1011 people (88.5%) had a normal karyotype and 129 people (11.5%) had chromosomal aberrations. These aberrations were found in 62 females and 67 males. The prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities was as follows: 18 (1.5%) structural aberrations, 1 numerical anomaly and 110 (9.6%) apparently normal polymorphic variants. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings could determine the underlying cause of RPL in 1.5% of the population while the majority still remained unexplained. This emphasizes the importance of searching for other genetic and nongenetic causes of RPL in apparently idiopathic cases of RPL.