After adjustment for severity score at presentation, age, gender, and comorbidity, IL-8/CXCL8 (adjusted OR 1.12 per unit increase, 95%CI 1.02–1.23, P = 0.021) and HMGB1 (adjusted OR 1.42 per unit increase, 95%CI 1.08–1.87, P = 0.012) concentrations were shown to be independently associated with respiratory failure (Table 4a and 4b). Here, CXCL8 is linked to respiratory failure.