Effect of Lippes loop on sperm recovery from human fallopian tubes.

ABSTRACT

Recovery of human sperm from the fallopian tubes after natural insemination have been studied in sixty women; out of these, thirty cases were fitted with the Lippes loop, type C, for at least six months. The mean sperm count/high power field (HPF X 400) and percentage of motile sperm in the cervical mucus in both control and Lippes loop groups showed no significant differences. No sperm were recovered from the fallopian tubes of the Lippes loop group, while fourteen control cases had a positive recovery of sperm from the tubal washings. The mean number of white blood corpuscles in the tubal washings of Lippes loop-fitted cases was found to be significantly higher than in control cases. The phagocytic capacity of these cells may explain the low incidence of sperm recovered from the fallopian tubes in such cases.

ABSTRACT

PIP 60 multiparas requesting permanent sterilization were selected for this study of the recovery of spermatozoa from fallopian tubes after natural insemination. Ages ranged from 23-45 years. All subjects received hormonal contraceptives for at least 6 menstrual cycles before the operation. Of these 60 subjects, 30 were fitted with Lippes Loop C-type IUDs; the other 30 women constituted the controls. Cervical mucus samples were taken after intercourse to determine sperm density and motility. In both groups, the mean sperm count per high powered field and the percentage of motile sperm in the control vs. Lippes loop group showed no significant differences (P .05). In terms of tubal sperm recovery, in all Lippes loop-fitted women, no sperm were recovered from the fallopian tubes. Sperm were recovered from tubal washing of 14 of 30 controls. The number of recovered sperm per tube ranged from 1-35 with a mean of 10.1 sperm per tube. In the control groups, the mean number of leukocytes per high power field was 7.6 and 10.5 in the tubal washings with negative and positive sperm, respectively. In Lippes loop cases, the mean number of leukocytes was 38.9, significantly higher than both groups (i.e., negative and positive sperm) of control cases (P .05). Hence it is concluded that that the phagocytic capacity of these cells may explain the low incidence of sperm recovered from fallopian tubes of IUD users.