Interleukin 8 (IL-8), also known as CXCL8, which is a member of the CXC chemokine family. This chemokine is secreted by a variety of cell types including monocyte/macrophages, T cells, neutrophils, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and various tumor cell lines in response to inflammatory stimuli. IL-8 has two primary functions. It induces chemotaxis in target cells, primarily neutrophils but also other granulocytes, causing them to migrate toward the site of infection. IL-8 also induces phagocytosis once they have arrived. This gene is believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis, a common respiratory tract disease caused by viral infection. IL-8 is also known to be a potent promoter of angiogenesis. IL-8 has been associated with tumor angiogenesis, metastasis, and poor prognosis in breast cancer. IL-8 may present a novel therapeutic target for estrogen driven breast carcinogenesis and tumor progression. The human IL-8 cDNA sequence predicts a protein of 99 amino acids. Removal of a 22-residue signal peptide generates a mature protein of 77 amino acids (~ 8 kDa).