An Oral Dose-Ranging Finding Study in Patients With HIV Disease, CDC Classification Groups IIB, III, and IV-C2

Inclusion Criteria Patients must have HIV reactivity. * Patients must belong to one of the following three groups according to the CDC classification: * IIB - including only those patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenia (platelet count = or \< 100000 platelets/mm3). * OR Lymphopenia (lymphocyte count = or \< 1000 cells/mm3). * OR Helper cell lymphopenia (helper cells \< the mean of normals). * OR CDC classification III or IV-C2. * Patients with = or \< involuntary 10 percent weight loss in the last 6 months. * ECOG performance status 0 or 1. * Weigh 70 kg + or - 15 kg in order to standardize the g/kg dosing. * Positive antibody for HIV by an ELISA test kit. If the ELISA is negative, then eligibility will be confirmed by second confirmatory test, i.e., immunoblot. Exclusion Criteria Co-existing Condition: Patients with the following are excluded: * AIDS or the CDC classification stage IV except stage IV-C2. * HIV antibody negative by immunoblot. * Persistent fevers of \> 38.5 degrees C. * Persistent diarrhea undiagnosed \> 1 month. * Involuntary weight loss of \> 10 percent in the 6 months prior to study entry. * ECOG performance status of 2, 3, or 4. * Class IV-C2 with prior history of: * Multidermal herpes zoster. * Oral candidiasis on more than one occasion. * Tuberculosis. Concurrent Medication: Excluded: * Other antiretroviral agents. * Active immunomodulating agents. * Any other experimental therapy. * Drugs which cause anemia or neutropenia. * Drugs which are glucuronidated and may interfere with the metabolism of AZT, i.e., acetaminophen \> 5 days. * Acyclovir systemically administered \> 5 days. * Any other experimental agents. Patients with the following are excluded: * AIDS or the CDC classification stage IV except stage IV-C2. * HIV antibody negative by immunoblot. * Persistent fevers of \> 38.5 degrees C. * Persistent diarrhea undiagnosed \> 1 month. * Involuntary weight loss of \> 10 percent in the 6 months prior to study entry. * ECOG performance status of 2, 3, or 4. * Class IV-C2 with prior history of: * Multidermal herpes zoster. * Oral candidiasis on more than one occasion. * Tuberculosis. Prior Medication: Excluded within 3 months of study entry: * Other antiretroviral agents. Active immunomodulating agents. * Excluded within 2 weeks of study entry: * Drugs which cause anemia or neutropenia. * Drugs which are glucuronidated and may interfere with the metabolism of zidovudine (AZT), i.e., acetaminophen \> 5 days. * Acyclovir systemically administered \> 5 days. * Any other experimental agents. Known active drug abuse.