The ability to mount an oxidative burst (OB) in response to medium, zymosan and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was assessed in human blood monocytes cultured for 1 day (MO) and monocyte-derived macrophages cultured for 10 days (MDM). Further, the effect of recombinant interferons (IFNs) on OB generation was examined. The OB was measured as a reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT). Unstimulated and stimulated NBT reduction per cell nucleus and the ratio of stimulated/unstimulated NBT reduction was not significantly different in cells cultured for 1 and 10 days. In MO, IFN-gamma stimulated the OB when co-stimulated with zymosan or PMA. IFN-alpha reduced MO adherence. When the lower adherence was corrected for, IFN-alpha enhanced NBT reduction. In MDM, a high concentration of IFN-gamma stimulated the OB without co-stimulation, in lower concentrations the presence of a co-stimulant was necessary for OB stimulation. IFN-alpha/beta enhanced the OB in response to PMA, suggesting that IFN-alpha/beta has a role in macrophage activation.