Recent studies have shown that during the asymptomatic phase (clinical latency) of HIV infection, there is an extraordinarily large number of infected CD4+ lymphocytes and macrophages throughout the lymphoid system, both in latent and productive states. These findings support the belief that early intervention therapy with reverse transcriptase inhibitors could prolong the clinical latency period.~Patients are randomized to receive AZT alone, AZT plus ddI, or no therapy (placebo) daily for 48 weeks. Patients are followed at weeks 2, 4, and 8, and then every 8 weeks thereafter until week 48.
To determine the effects of zidovudine (AZT) alone and in combination with didanosine (ddI) on viral load in the lymphoid tissue and blood of antiretroviral-naive, HIV-infected patients with CD4 counts greater than or equal to 550 cells/mm3.~Recent studies have shown that during the asymptomatic phase (clinical latency) of HIV infection, there is an extraordinarily large number of infected CD4+ lymphocytes and macrophages throughout the lymphoid system, both in latent and productive states. These findings support the belief that early intervention therapy with reverse transcriptase inhibitors could prolong the clinical latency period.