Inclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

• PCP prophylaxis.
• Therapy for an opportunistic infection that develops on study, with the exception of foscarnet for CMV disease or resistant Herpes simplex.
• Systemic corticosteroids ONLY IF given for no longer than 21 days for acute PCP.
• Topical corticosteroids to areas separate from a skin test or IL-2 injection site.
• Acyclovir up to 1000 mg/day as maintenance for recurrent genital Herpes.
• Erythropoietin and filgrastim.
• Antiemetics.
• Antibiotics as clinically indicated.
• Elective standard immunizations at week 8 or later.

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

• Local radiation therapy.

Prior Medication: Required:

• Stable, approved antiretroviral therapy for at least 2 months (was 3 months, amended 3/26/96) prior to study entry.

Patients must have:

• HIV seropositivity.
• CD4 count 300 - 700 cells/mm3.
• Stable antiretroviral therapy for at least 2 months (was 3 months, amended 3/26/96) prior to study entry.
• No history of AIDS-defining illness except for limited cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma.
• Normal EKG (isolated nonspecific ST and T wave changes permitted).

NOTE:

• This protocol is approved for prisoner participation.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded:

• Malignancy requiring systemic or local cytotoxic chemotherapy.
• Untreated thyroid disease.
• Asthma requiring intermittent or chronic inhalation or systemic therapy.
• Any medical condition that precludes study entry.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Antianginal agents such as nitrates, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and antiarrhythmics.
• Systemic or local cytotoxic chemotherapy.
• Interferons.
• Interleukins other than study drug.
• Pentoxifylline ( Trental ).
• Acetylcysteine ( NAC ).
• Sargramostim ( GM-CSF ).
• Dinitrochlorobenzene ( DCNB ).
• Thymosin alpha 1.
• Thymopentin.
• Inosiplex ( Isoprinosine ).
• Polyribonucleoside ( Ampligen ).
• Ditiocarb sodium ( Imuthiol ).
• Therapeutic HIV vaccines.
• Investigational antiretroviral agents such as lamivudine ( 3TC ) and tat and protease inhibitors.
• Foscarnet.
• Aspirin.
• Immune globulin ( IVIG ).
• Thalidomide.
• Systemic corticosteroids (permitted for 21 days or less for PCP treatment only).

Concurrent Treatment:

Excluded:

• Ongoing transfusion.

Patients with the following prior conditions are excluded:

• History of autoimmune disease, including inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis (although autoimmune thyroid disease that is stable is allowed).
• Clinically significant CNS disease or seizures that have been active within 1 year prior to study entry.

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

• IL-2 within 3 months prior to study entry.
• Any immunomodulatory therapy within 4 weeks prior to study entry.
• Foscarnet within 4 weeks prior to study entry.
• Acute therapy for an opportunistic infection within 14 days prior to study entry.

Active alcohol or substance abuse that would compromise study compliance.