• clinical pregnancy rate [ Time Frame: 3 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• follicle count, cycle cancellation rate, poor responder rate [ Time Frame: 2 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Women in group A will undergo controlled ovarian stimulation according to the following protocol:

Pituitary down-regulation will be achieved using buserelin (Suprefact®, Hoechst, Frankfurt, Germany) at a fixed daily dose of 200 mg s.c., according to a long agonist protocol, starting on day 2 of the normal menstrual cycle. Treatment with r-hFSH (Gonal-F®, Serono Austria GmbH, Vienna, Austria) will be started in women with serum E2 concentrations <200 pmol/l and no follicles >15 mm in diameter or ovarian cysts on ultrasonographic examination. The initial r-hFSH dose will be 250 IU s.c. daily for 5 days, after which the dose will be increased to a maximum of 450 IU per day using a step-up protocol with steps of 50 IU/day.

Once the leading follicle has reached a diameter of 14 mm, patients will receive r-hLH (lutropin alfa; Luveris®, Serono Austria GmbH, Vienna, Austria) at a dose of 75 IU s.c. for a maximum of 10 days. A dose of 75 IU LH per day was chosen based on findings from a controlled, prospective, dose-finding study in gonadotrophin-deficient women (WHO I classification) (7). Ovulation will be induced by administration of HCG (Profasi®, Serono Austria GmbH, Vienna, Austria), 10 000 IU i.m. or s.c., when at least two follicles have reached a diameter of >17 mm.

Oocyte retrieval will be performed by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration techniques 34-38 h after administration of HCG. IVF will be performed according to standard practices at our institution. A maximum of three embryos will be transferred 48 h after oocyte retrieval (ESHRE Committee on Good Clinical and Laboratory Practice, 1995 ). Patients will receive micronized progesterone, 600 mg/day, by vaginal administration for at least the first 3 weeks of pregnancy, beginning on the day of embryo transfer.

Women in group B will undergo ovarian hyperstimulation according to the following protocol:

No pituitary down-regulation will be performed. Treatment with r-hFSH (Gonal-F®, Serono Austria GmbH, Vienna, Austria) will be started in women with serum E2 concentrations <200 pmol/l and no follicles >15 mm in diameter or ovarian cysts on ultrasonographic examination. The r-hFSH dose will be 150 IU s.c. daily for 11 consecutive days. Once the leading follicle has reached a diameter of 14 mm, patients will receive r-hLH (lutropin alfa; Luveris®, Serono Austria GmbH, Vienna, Austria) at a dose of 75 IU s.c. for a maximum of 10 days. A dose of 75 IU LH per day was chosen based on findings from a controlled, prospective, dose-finding study in gonadotrophin-deficient women (WHO I classification) (European Recombinant Human LH Study Group, 1998 ). Ovulation will be induced by administration of HCG (Profasi®, Serono Austria GmbH, Vienna, Austria), 10 000 IU i.m. or s.c., when at least two follicles have reached a diameter of >17 mm.

Oocyte retrieval will be performed by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration techniques 34-38 h after administration of HCG. IVF will be performed according to standard practices at our institution. A maximum of three embryos will be transferred 48 h after oocyte retrieval (ESHRE Committee on Good Clinical and Laboratory Practice, 1995 ). Patients will receive micronized progesterone, 600 mg/day, by vaginal administration for at least the first 3 weeks of pregnancy, beginning on the day of embryo transfer.