ANTI-HIV ACTIVITY OF DIDEOXYNUCLEOSIDES, FOSCARNET AND FUSIDIC ACID IS POTENTIATED BY HUMAN-LEUKOCYTE INTERFERON IN BLOOD-DERIVED MACROPHAGES

Blood-derived macrophages were acutely infected with HIV and treated w ith a combination of leucocyte interferon (IFN) and five anti-HIV drug s. HIV growth was assayed by quantitation of p24 antigen in the supern atant and in some experiments by determination of reverse transcriptas e activity. Both IFN and all drugs, with the exception of fusidic acid , inhibited HIV growth in a dose-dependent manner. IFN in combination with zidovudine, dideoxycytidine or fusidic acid exerted a synergistic effect on HIV titers, while IFN combined with dideoxyinosine or fosca rnet had an additive effect.