Inclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Encouraged though not required:

• Inhaled pentamidine as prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP).
• Allowed:
• AL-721 use is discouraged but not prohibited.
• Use of aspirin, acetaminophen, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents should be minimized, with continuous use for > 72 hours discouraged.
• Acute therapy (7 days) with oral acyclovir.
• Acute therapy with ketoconazole.

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

• Up to 4 units of packed red blood cells for hemoglobin toxicity.

All patients must have the following:

• A consistently positive serum HIV p24 antigen = or > 70 pg/ml, defined by the Abbott HIV antigen test, on two occasions. The tests must be within 1 month of study entry, separated by at least 72 hours, and the last must be within 2 weeks of starting therapy. Any negative antigen test during the period will exclude the patient from the study.
• A positive antibody to HIV confirmed by any federally licensed ELISA test kit.
• Patients in group A must have AIDS related complex (ARC) as defined by the documented presence of at least one of the following:
• Recurrent oral candidiasis.
• Hairy leukoplakia.
• History of herpes zoster.
• Temperature > 38.5 degrees C with or without night sweats, persisting for > 14 consecutive days or > 15 days in a 30-day interval prior to study entry.
• Weight loss of > 15 lbs. or 10 percent of body weight noted in a 120-day period prior to study entry.
• Diarrhea defined as = or > 3 liquid stools per day, persisting for > 30 days prior to study entry without definable cause.
• Patients in group B must have CDC-defined AIDS not requiring systemic maintenance chemotherapy.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following conditions or symptoms are excluded:

• Transfusion dependence requiring 2 units of blood more than once per month.
• Significant malabsorption (> 10 percent weight loss within the past 3 months with serum carotene < 75 IU/ml or vitamin A < 74 IU/ml).
• Significant cardiac or liver disease.
• Significant neurologic abnormalities defined by any one of the following:
• A significant abnormality on the ddC Neuropathy Targeted Symptom Questionnaire defined as a symptom score > 4 (moderate severity) in any one of six categories or a score > 2 (mild severity) in any two of six categories.
• Moderate abnormalities on standardized neurologic exam.
• Any severe abnormality (a value = or > 4.0) on standardized 4-arm quantitative sensory testing of vibration threshold.
• Diabetes, renal failure, or alcoholism.
• Dose-limiting or transfusion-requiring toxicity during a previous course of zidovudine therapy.
• History of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
• Requirement for prolonged acyclovir therapy. Patients in group A must not have the following:
• Opportunistic infection or malignancy fulfilling the CDC definition of AIDS.
• Neoplasms other than basal cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ carcinoma of the cervix. Patients in group B must not have the following:
• Active opportunistic infection or AIDS-defining opportunistic infection requiring ongoing systemic therapy and/or prophylaxis other than inhaled pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis.
• Symptomatic visceral Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), progression of KS within the month prior to study entry.
• Concurrent neoplasms other than KS, basal cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ carcinoma of the cervix.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Neurotoxic drugs.
• Prolonged acyclovir therapy.
• Antineoplastic therapy.
• Systemic therapy and/or prophylaxis for an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection, other than inhaled pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) prophylaxis.
• Other antiretroviral agents, immunomodulators, or systemic corticosteroids.
• Other experimental medication.

Concurrent Treatment:

Excluded:

• Transfusion dependency (requiring 2 units of blood more than once per month).

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

• Antiretroviral agents within 60 days of study entry.
• Biologic modifiers or corticosteroids within 30 days prior to study entry.
• Dideoxycytidine (ddC).

Prior Treatment:

Excluded:

• Blood transfusion within 2 weeks of entry.

Any negative HIV p24 antigen test during the month prior to entry will exclude the patient from the study.

Active drug or alcohol abuse.