These HG-specific activated pathways include the proinflammatory interleukin-8 (IL-8) signalling, hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) signalling, cardiac hypertrophy signalling (enhanced) and the role of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) in cardiac hypertrophy (Fig. 6A). Here, CXCL8 is linked to cardiac hypertrophy.