title: Administration of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine, an inhibitor of HTLV-III/LAV replication, to patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex.
abstract: In a 6-week clinical trial 4 dose regimens of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), a thymidine analogue with potent anti-viral activity against HTLV-III in vitro, were examined in 19 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC). AZT was given intravenously for 2 weeks, then orally for 4 weeks at twice the intravenous dose. AZT was well absorbed from the gut and crossed the blood-brain barrier. Therapeutic levels were maintained with 5 mg given intravenously or 10 mg given orally every 4 h. Treatment was not limited by side-effects, the commonest of which were headaches and depression of white-cell counts. 15 of the 19 patients had increases in their numbers of circulating helper-inducer T lymphocytes (p less than 0.001) during therapy, 6 who were anergic at entry showed positive delayed type hypersensitivity skin test reactions during treatment, 2 had clearance of chronic fungal nailbed infections without specific anti-fungal therapy, 6 had other evidence of clinical improvement, and the group as a whole had a weight gain of 2.2 kg. Also, with the highest dose regimen cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for HTLV III became negative.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yarchoan
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Klecker
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Weinhold
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Markham
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lyerly
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Durack
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gelmann
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Lehrman
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D000284:Administration, Oral; D001835:Body Weight; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000150:complications; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D013936:Thymidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*; D015215:Zidovudine
chemical_list: D015215:Zidovudine; D013936:Thymidine