CXCL8 and ventilator-associated pneumonia: Although, IL1-ß,and IL-8 have been found to be elevated in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients suffering from ventilator associated pneumonias [12], it appears that in contrast to MMPs the levels of these cytokines in the bronchial fluid are not consistently altered in the case of smoking or colonisation/infection with periopathogens.