Given this background, it seems appropriate to investigate the effects of three different ovarian stimulation protocols (HP-hMG, r-hFSH and r-hFSH/r-hLH), used as routine in the ovarian stimulation therapy, in a pilot prospective observational study, evaluating the effects of recombinant LH and extractive hCG (with LH like activity) on the biological outcome as well as on the clinical outcome. The apoptosis rate of the cumulus cell, usually discarded after oocyte collection, was used as molecular biomarker to assess the oocyte quality, as biological outcome. The clinical outcome was estimated measuring implantation and ongoing pregnancy rates within and between the three different ovarian stimulation protocols