The effects of penicillin, macrolides (spiramycin and erythromycin), cephalosporins (cefaclor and cefadroxil), tetracycline (doxycycline) and quinolones (pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin) on extracellular and cell-associated interleukin 1 (IL-1) activity from human adherent mononuclear leucocyte cells were investigated in vitro. When cells were treated with an antibiotic concentration of 10 mg/l, no apparent effect could be detected for penicillin, erythromycin, cephalosporins or quinolones, while a slight increase of extracellular IL-1 activity associated with a decrease of intracellular IL-1 activity was observed with spiramycin and doxycycline. When high antibiotic concentration were used, extracellular IL-1 activity was increased by macrolides and tetracycline, while both cell-associated and class II human monocyte antigen expression were decreased. A toxic effect may have been exerted by these antimicrobial agents, since cell viability was altered when they were used at high concentrations. In contrast, extracellular IL-1 activity was found to be decreased by quinolones and cephalosporins. Intracellular IL-1 activity was also decreased by cephalosporins, while quinolones did not modify either cell-associated IL-1 activity or class II human monocyte antigen expression. The effect induced by quinolones and cephalosporins occurred without modification of cell viability. IL-1 activity was shown to be affected by antibiotics over the same range of concentrations which are known to inhibit mononuclear leucocyte proliferation. Our data may help in defining the mechanism by which the mitogen-induced mononuclear proliferative response is suppressed by antimicrobial agents since this appears to involve the inhibition of IL-1 production or of its release.