A Prospective Double-Blind Study of Retrovir in Early HIV Infection

Inclusion Criteria Concurrent Treatment: Allowed: * Electron beam therapy to an area of less than 100 cm2. Patient must have signs and symptoms of HIV infection confined to those of stages WRII-V or CDC groups III IV-A, IV-C-2 (except recurrent Salmonella bacteremia, nocardiosis, or disseminated/extrapulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis), and IV-E (except diffuse interstitial lymphoid pneumonitis). * Patient must be able to give informed consent. Exclusion Criteria Co-existing Condition: Patients with the following are excluded: * Evidence of nervous system dysfunction caused by factors other than HIV infection, including chronic alcohol or drug abuse. * Present or prior known AIDS-defining opportunistic infections, lymphomas, or malignancies based on CDC criteria. * Present or prior known systemic opportunistic diseases most recently included in the expanded CDC definition of AIDS: * extrapulmonary or disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, recurrent nontyphoidal Salmonella septicemia, coccidioidomycosis, diffuse interstitial lymphoid pneumonitis. * Evidence of compromised bone marrow function defined by specified lab values. * Evidence of HIV neurologic disease. * Evidence of HIV-associated "wasting syndrome". * Hypersensitivity to zidovudine (AZT). Concurrent Medication: Excluded: * Cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. * Steroids. * Interferon or immunomodulating agents. * Any antiretroviral drug including, but not limited to zidovudine (AZT), ribavirin, HPA23, AL 721, or phosphonoformate. Patients with the following are excluded: * Evidence of nervous system dysfunction caused by factors other than HIV infection, including chronic alcohol or drug abuse. Present or prior known AIDS-defining opportunistic infections, lymphomas, or malignancies based on CDC criteria. Present or prior known systemic opportunistic diseases most recently included in the expanded CDC definition of AIDS: * extrapulmonary or disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, recurrent nontyphoidal Salmonella septicemia, coccidioidomycosis, diffuse interstitial lymphoid pneumonitis. * Evidence of compromised bone marrow function defined by specified lab values. Evidence of HIV neurologic disease. * Evidence of HIV-associated wasting syndrome. * Hypersensitivity to retrovir. Prior Medication: Excluded within 4 weeks of study entry: * Interferon. * Immunomodulating agents. * Myelosuppressive drugs. * Nephrotoxic agents. * Other experimental chemotherapy. Prior Treatment: Excluded: * Treatment with radiation therapy (with the exception of electron beam therapy to an area of less than 100 cm2). Chronic alcohol or drug abuse.