The aim of this study was to evaluate spontaneous and LPS stimulated proinflammatory cytokines and chemokine release of alveolar macrophages in the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and healthy individuals, as a control. Alveolar macrophages recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage fluids were cultured with or without LPS 0.1, 1, or 10 micrograms/ml for 24 and 48 hours in 37C, 5% CO2. TNF-alpha, IL-1beta IL-6 and IL-8 amount were evaluated using ELISA kit from the supernatants. There were a significant increase in the spontaneous 24 hours release of TNF-alpha and IL-6 from the involved segments of tuberculosis patients compared with uninvolved segments and normal control. There were also increasing trends of release of them after LPS stimulation in involved segments, but not significant. IL-1beta IL-6 and IL-8 were not evaluated from the involved segments of tuberculosis and there were not significant differences of them between uninvolved segments of tuberculosis and normal control. It is concluded that cytokine release of alveolar macrophages in the pulmonary tuberculosis was markedly increased, and it was localized to the alveolar macrophages from the involved segments.