{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.047504509921828024, 'fraction_numerical': 0.025255562236921228, 'mean_word_length': 4.942857142857143, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 6, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Combined therapy with zidovudine, recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factors and erythropoietin in asymptomatic HIV patients.

The aim of this randomized, comparative, double-blind study was to determine the efficacy of zidovudine (ZVD) either alone or in combination with recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (rG-CSF) and erythropoietin (Epo) in asymptomatic HIV-infected subjects with a CD4+ cell count < 500/mm3, classified as CDC II stage. We recruited 20 HIV Ab+ asymptomatic patients who were randomized into two groups: A and B. Group A was treated with ZVD at the dosage of 500 mg daily in combination with rG-CSF (10 micrograms/Kg/biweekly) and Epo (50 IU/Kg/biweekly). Group B was treated with ZVD (500 mg/day) alone. The primary end-point was progression to an AIDS-defining event and the secondary end-point included changes in the CD4+ cell count, p24 Ag status, beta-2-microglobulin, and ferritin levels. The patients of Group A showed no significant changes in transaminase, ferritin and beta-2-microglobulin levels while CD4 cells, Hb and neutrophil levels increased significantly compared to Group B (p < 0.001) and baseline values (p < 0.05). Conversely, 5 patients in Group B showed a significant decrease in CD4 cells (p < 0.01), Hb and neutrophil levels (p < 0.01) compared to baseline values, while beta-2-microglobulin increased (p < 0.05) compared to initial values. Our preliminary study may indicate that the combination of zidovudine with these hematopoietic growth factors could reduce the possibility of virus-related hematologic toxicity and could be more efficacious than zidovudine alone in prolonged therapy.