CHLAMYDIAL SEROLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS AMONG INTRAUTERINE CONTRACEPTIVEDEVICE USERS - DOES COPPER INHIBIT CHLAMYDIAL INFECTION IN THE FEMALEGENITAL-TRACT

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the association between copper intrauterine contraceptive device use and the level of antichlamydial antibodies. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-four women (29 with history of ectopic pregnancy, 2 with non-tubal factor infertility, 1 with tubal factor i nfertility, and 22 with intact intrauterine pregnancies) with current or prior intrauterine contraceptive device use were compared with 60 p renatal control subjects with respect to antichlamydial antibodies. RE SULTS: When the intrauterine contraceptive device user group was subdi vided into copper users and Lippes Loop device users, a significantly lower geometric mean serum antibody titer among copper intrauterine co ntraceptive device users was detected. The odds ratio estimates for pa st chlamydial exposure (greater than or equal to 1:64 immunoglobulin G (1) greater than or equal to 1:128 immunoglobulin G) in users of nonco pper versus copper intrauterine contraceptive devices were 9.1 (95% co nfidence interval 1.9 to 43.0) and 10.5 (95% confidence interval 1.5 t o 71.8), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The lower geometric mean serum ant ibody titer of antichlamydial antibody among copper versus Lippes Loop device users and the large association measured between past chlamydi al infection and noncopper intrauterine contraceptive device use sugge st that copper may have a protective effect against Chlamydia trachoma tis infection or a suppressive effect on development of antichlamydiai antibodies.