Current advances in the diagnosis and treatment of AIDS: an introduction. Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of AIDS. Laboratory tests available for assessment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection include the detection of antibodies to HIV type 1, the direct detection of the virus, the identification of surrogate markers, and the phenotypic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Clinicians have made great strides in the treatment of tumors, opportunistic infections, and complications associated with AIDS as well as in the treatment of the infection itself. In selected patients, treatment with interferon-alpha has been successful against AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. Attempts to treat the leukopenia and anemia of patients with AIDS by the administration of hematopoietic growth factors have resulted in increased white blood cell counts and a decrease in erythrocyte transfusion requirements. In addition to zidovudine, several antiretroviral agents are undergoing testing, including the nucleoside analogues dideoxycytidine and dideoxyinosine, soluble CD4, and the glycosidase inhibitor N-butyldeoxynojirimycin. 