Exposure in swine confinement facilities induces airway inflammation in healthy subjects. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the role of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB in the inflammatory response induced by organic dust. A human lung epithelial carcinoma cell line (A549) was transfected with reporter genes of the human IL-6 promoter or the NF-kappaB binding site fused to the luciferase reporter gene and stimulated with dust from a swine confinement building. Cytokine release in cell culture supernatants and luciferase activity was measured. The dust-induced the activities of the IL-6 promoter reporter gene and the NF-kappaB reporter gene in parallel with an increase in IL-6 and IL-8 release. The addition of pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, a chemical NF-kappaB blocking agent, inhibited IL-6 and IL-8 secretion as well as the NF-kappaB reporter gene activity. Increasing the amount of IkappaB alpha led to inhibition of organic dust-induced IL-6 promoter and NF-kappaB reporter gene activities. Fluticasone inhibited the organic dust-induced NF-kappaB activation and IL-6 and IL-8 secretion. Finally, swine dust incubation of A549 cells resulted in a NF-kappaB DNA binding, which is composed of the NF-kappaB1 and RelA proteins. In conclusion, by interference at various levels we have shown that NF-kappaB plays a key role in the inflammatory response to organic dust.