Burkholderia cepacia is a prevalent pulmonary pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The lung pathology observed in patients with CF is postulated to be due to an overexpression of chemokines. This study investigated the induction of the neutrophil chemoattractant chemokine IL-8 and the signaling pathways activated by B. cepacia-infected human lung epithelial A549 (HLE) cells. Cells were infected with B. cepacia (genomovar III of the B. cepacia complex), and reverse transcriptase-PCR and ELISA for the cytokines were performed. B. cepacia (multiplicity of infection > or =4:1) induced HLE cells to significantly secrete IL-8 in a more potent manner than the predominant CF pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (multiplicity of infection > or =64:1). IL-8 secretion by B. cepacia-infected HLE cells was abrogated by the gene transcription inhibitor actinomycin D and the protein translation inhibitor cycloheximide, confirming that B. cepacia-induced IL-8 secretion was mediated through de novo protein synthesis. Treatment of B. cepacia with proteinase K failed to down-regulate IL-8 secretion; furthermore, IL-8 secretion by B. cepacia-infected HLE cells was abrogated by > or =80% in the presence of anti-CD14 [specific lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor] antibody, thus suggesting that the IL-8-inducing component of B. cepacia was LPS and therefore dependent on CD14. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase MAPK inhibitor significantly abrogated IL-8 secretion by B. cepacia-infected HLE cells (SB203580, > or =80% inhibition; PD98059, > or =30% inhibition). In conclusion, B. cepacia-induced IL-8 secretion in A549 airway epithelial cells is more potent than P. aeruginosa; is mediated through LPS, which is CD14 dependent; and involves activation of the p38 and ERK MAPK pathways.