CXCL8 and infection: SpyCEP is a 170 kDa serine protease expressed on the surface of GAS, which proteolytically cleaves and abrogates the activities of the human chemokines CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL6, and CXCL8/IL-8, impairing neutrophil recruitment to the site of infection (Edwards et al., 2005; Hidalgo-Grass et al., 2006; Sumby et al., 2008; Zinkernagel et al., 2008; Turner et al., 2009).