Interleukin-12 in Treating Patients With AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma

PROTOCOL ENTRY CRITERIA: --Disease Characteristics-- Histologically proven Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) At least 5 lesions evaluable by noninvasive methods No acutely life threatening lesions that may be responsive to other therapy Actively bleeding or critically located lesions may be excluded at the discretion of the Study Chair or Principal Investigator Asymptomatic pulmonary disease not requiring immediate cytotoxic therapy allowed HIV-associated disease Anti-HIV serum antibodies measured by ELISA and Western blot Stable dose of two or more of the following antiretroviral agents required for 4 weeks prior to study: Lamivudine Didanosine Zidovudine Saquinavir Stavudine Ritonavir Zalcitabine Indinavir Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor Other protease inhibitor Antiretroviral therapy unchanged during study unless medically warranted Patients may switch between antiretroviral agents provided they continue to receive a combination of 2 or more agents --Prior/Concurrent Therapy-- Biologic therapy: At least 6 months since prior interleukin-12 (IL-12) At least 3 weeks since prior interferon therapy At least 2 weeks since prior cytokines or bone marrow stimulating factors (except epoetin alfa) No concurrent cytokines except epoetin alfa or filgrastim (G-CSF) Chemotherapy: At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (at least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas or mitomycin) At least 6 months since prior suramin Endocrine therapy: Replacement glucocorticoids allowed At least 2 mont…