Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) also known as leukocytic pyrogen, leukocytic endogenous mediator, mononuclear cell factor, lymphocyte activating factor and other names, is a member of the interleukin 1 family of cytokines. This cytokine is an important mediator of the inflammatory response, and is involved in a variety of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. It has been reported that IL-1β can induced IL-8 production in A549 cells. To test the bioactivity of IL-1β, A549 cells were seeded into 24-well plate at a density of 1x105 cells/mL , and allowed to attach overnight before treated with certain concentrations of IL-1β for 24h and IL-8 levels in the cell supernatant were determined by ELISA