Antiretroviral therapy and immunomodulators in patients with AIDS.

A number of studies have illustrated the effectiveness of hematopoietic growth factors in managing treatment-related cytopenias in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. One of these factors, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, has been shown to restore absolute neutrophil counts in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Kaposi's sarcoma receiving a combination of zidovudine (AZT) and interferon alfa. A combination of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and erythropoietin has also been demonstrated to alleviate both neutropenia and anemia in patients with advanced AIDS or AIDS-related complex receiving zidovudine. Hematopoietic growth factors, in combination with each other and with antiretroviral agents, thus have an important supportive role to play in the treatment of patients with HIV disease.