The mechanism of the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) by human peripheral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) was investigated. Supernatants of PMN stimulated with 30 micrograms/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used as extracellular IL-1 and supernatants of their lysate as intracellular IL-1 source. IL-1 activity was measured by the C3H/HeJ thymocyte co-mitogenic assay. The supernatants from PMN stimulated with LPS for 72 h showed IL-1 activity which had an apparent molecular weight of 15-20 kilodaltons and pI of 5.0 and more than 8.5. It was neutralized with anti-IL-1 antibodies and it lacked IL-2 activity. Our time course study of the IL-1 assay with neutralization by anti-IL-1-alpha and -beta antibodies indicated that the extracellular IL-1-beta activity appeared predominantly in the early incubation periods, whereas alpha activity appeared predominantly in the late periods. Intracellular IL-1-alpha but not beta activity was detected mainly at the intermediate incubation periods. These data indicate that PMN stimulated with LPS produce both IL-1-alpha and -beta, and release IL-1-beta first and IL-1-alpha later.