A Study of Ribavirin in the Treatment of Patients With AIDS and AIDS-Related Problems

To determine the maximum long-term dosage of ribavirin (RBV) that is safe and free of serious side effects in patients with AIDS or AIDS related illnesses. Also, to determine what effect different dosage levels have on biologic markers of efficacy, such as the amount of the AIDS virus (HIV) or number of T cells in the patient's blood. RBV is a new drug capable of inhibiting the growth of the AIDS virus in the laboratory with little effect on normal human cells. In earlier tests of RBV in AIDS patients, the drug was well tolerated and safe, and this favorable result suggested that RBV should be more extensively studied in patients with AIDS and advanced AIDS related complex (ARC). RBV is a new drug capable of inhibiting the growth of the AIDS virus in the laboratory with little effect on normal human cells. In earlier tests of RBV in AIDS patients, the drug was well tolerated and safe, and this favorable result suggested that RBV should be more extensively studied in patients with AIDS and advanced AIDS related complex (ARC). Patients are selected from three patient groups: * Patients with AIDS, who have not taken zidovudine (AZT) within 30 days of entry into the study and who have not been discontinued from AZT because of intolerance. * Patients with AIDS related diseases who have not taken AZT within 30 days of entry into the study, and who have not been discontinued from AZT because of intolerance. * Patients with AIDS or AIDS related diseases who have had AZT intolerance that required cessation of therapy. This is an outpatient study; patients are seen weekly for the first 4 weeks, every other week through week 12, and then every 4 weeks for the duration of the 24 weeks of the treatment portion of the study. Patients from each of the three diagnostic groups are enrolled at each dose level. For the first 3 days after entry into the study, all patients receive the lowest dose of RBV every 6 hours. Subsequent dosages increase until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is reached. The MTD for a group is defined as the dose at which 4 or more of the 8 patients in the group develop toxicity which requires a change or discontinuation of the dosage. Patients who experience significant toxicity may continue in the study at lower dose to determine the long-term tolerance.