The Safety and Effectiveness of Injections of Human Recombinant Interferon-gamma in Patients With AIDS Who Have Taken Zidovudine

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)5 enrolled

Overview

To find out which of four doses of (recombinant) human interferon gamma (IFN-G) is most effective in stimulating the white blood cells (monocytes) to fight infection and to see if treatment with IFN-G can strengthen the ability of AIDS patients to control infections. This study will also determine how long after a single injection of IFN-G white blood cells remain stimulated. AIDS is a disease that progressively destroys that aspect of the body's defense called the immune system. It is particularly harmful to a class of cells called helper T-lymphocytes. The specific opportunistic infections and malignancies associated with AIDS have been treated with therapies that are often poorly tolerated by the patients and are associated with dose-limiting toxicities. The principal focus of AIDS therapy research at present is to control the underlying retroviral infection and to restore immune function with recombinant lymphokines, adoptive immunotherapy, and/or lymphocyte transplants. These treatments include zidovudine (AZT), which has been shown to control the HIV infection, and IFN-G, a lymphokine which activates tumor-destroying and germ-killing functions. Studies are needed to find the dose by which IFN-G works best.

AIDS is a disease that progressively destroys that aspect of the body's defense called the immune system. It is particularly harmful to a class of cells called helper T-lymphocytes. The specific opportunistic infections and malignancies associated with AIDS have been treated with therapies that are often poorly tolerated by the patients and are associated with dose-limiting toxicities. The principal focus of AIDS therapy research at present is to control the underlying retroviral infection and to restore immune function with recombinant lymphokines, adoptive immunotherapy, and/or lymphocyte transplants. These treatments include zidovudine (AZT), which has been shown to control the HIV infection, and IFN-G, a lymphokine which activates tumor-destroying and germ-killing functions. Studies are needed to find the dose by which IFN-G works best. Patients, who may participate in all three parts of the study, are maintained on a stable dose of AZT. In part A (optimal dose), five AIDS patients who have had an AIDS related opportunistic infection receive 4 once-weekly increasing doses of IFN-G. Monocyte antimicrobial activity is examined in test tube studies before and after each injection of IFN-G. In part B, five patients receive the optimal dose of IFN-G established in part A. Patients enrolled from part A have completed at least 2 weeks of part A before enrolling in part B. Antimicrobial activity is examined 1, 2, and 3 days after a single injection of the optimal dose of IFN-G (determined in part A). In part C (safety and tolerance of combined treatment of IFN-G and AZT), patients are treated with IFN-G for 4 weeks using the optimal dose and administration schedule derived from parts A and B.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria Concurrent Medication: Allowed: * Prophylactic antibiotics. * Tylenol (650 mg orally every 6 hours as needed for temperature \> 38.5 degrees C). * Meperidine (25 - 50 mg intravenously, once, for severe rigors if systolic blood pressure is \> 90 mmHg). Patients must meet criteria for AIDS classification (CDC) category IV C-1. * Patients must have had one or more prior opportunistic infections identified in surveillance definition of AIDS. Patients whose AIDS-defining illness is Kaposi's sarcoma are also eligible if they have previously had one of the secondary infectious diseases identified in category C-1. Prior Medication: Required: * Patients must have been receiving zidovudine (AZT) on a stable dosage regimen for at least 8 weeks immediately preceding entry into study. Exclusion Criteria Co-existing Condition: Patients with the following are excluded: * Clinically significant cardiac (= or \> class II, New York Heart Association) or peripheral vascular disease that requires treatment. * Presence of an active opportunistic infection that requires treatment. * Hemorrhagic diathesis or active bleeding disorder. * Clinically apparent vascular disease. Concurrent Medication: Excluded: * Medications required for treatment of active cardiac disease. * Ongoing therapy with anticoagulants or thrombolytic agents. Patients with the following are excluded: * Clinically significant cardiac (= or \> class II, New York Heart Association) or peripheral vascular disease that requires treatment. * Presence of an active opportunistic infection that requires treatment. * Hemorrhagic diathesis or active bleeding disorder. * Clinically apparent vascular disease. Prior Medication: Excluded within 4 weeks of study entry: * Antiviral chemotherapy other than zidovudine. * Excluded within 12 weeks of study entry: * Immunosuppressive or cytotoxic therapy.

The Safety and Effectiveness of Injections of Human Recombinant Interferon-gamma in Patients With AIDS Who Have Taken Zidovudine

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

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