CXCL8 and congestive heart failure: Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) are characterized by systemic inflammation, as evidenced by raised circulating levels of several inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and IL-6 as well as chemokines, for example, monocyte chemoattractant peptide- (MCP-) 1, IL-8, and macrophage inflammatory protein- (MIP-) 1α [1–6], which were associated with high plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) [7].