Safety and Efficacy of Zidovudine for Asymptomatic HIV-Infected Individuals

Inclusion Criteria Patients must: Be HIV seropositive and asymptomatic. Have normal neurologic exam as defined by the Micro Neuro-AIDS assessment. Concurrent Medication Required: Prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Aerosolized pentamidine is preferred but if not possible, Trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole 1 DS tablet per day or Dapsone 50 - 100 mg per day is allowed. Exclusion Criteria Active drug or alcohol abuse sufficient to prevent adequate compliance with study therapy in the investigator's opinion. Co-existing Condition: Patients with the following diseases or conditions are excluded: Hemophilia. Oral candida infection documented by morphology or by response to antifungal therapy within 2 years of study entry. Oral hairy leukoplakia at any time prior to study entry. Herpes zoster infection (including single dermatome infection) within 2 years of study entry. Active diarrhea as defined by 3 or more liquid stools per day. Temperature > 37.8 degrees C. Grade 1 impairment on two or more items (mild AIDS dementia complex) in the ACTG Micro Neuro-AIDS Assessment. Prior history of malignancy other than cutaneous basal cell carcinomas or cervical carcinoma in situ. Patients with the following are excluded from entry: AIDS or AIDS-related complex defining symptoms. Significant, chronic underlying medical illnesses which would impair continuous participation in this 3-year clinical trial. Hemophilia. Prior Medication: Excluded: Chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Other experimental medications. Excluded within 60 days of study entry: Antiretroviral drugs or immunomodulators (biologic response modifiers). Excluded within 120 days of study entry: Systemic corticosteroids. Prior Treatment: Excluded within 3 months of study entry: Blood transfusion.