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Zidovudine (AZT) has previously been shown to benefit patients with advanced HIV infection. Trials are now under way to determine the utility of AZT in healthier populations of HIV-positive patients. This Phase II study evaluated the drug in one such population: 37 HIV-positive men with Kaposi's sarcoma, no history of opportunistic infections, no systemic symptoms, and CD4+ lymphocyte counts greater than 200/microliter. In a randomized design, patients received high-dose intravenous AZT, low-dose intravenous AZT, oral AZT, or placebo over a 12-week period.
AZT-treated patients, regardless of regimen, had significant decreases in levels of serum HIV antigen and were less likely to have HIV cultured from cerebrospinal fluid. However, treatment…