Linking stress, oxidation and the chemokine system

Experimental evidence has shown that the chemokine system is redox-regulated, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. IL-8/CXCL8 is a neutrophil chemotactic protein that characterizes the inflammatory reaction in many pathological conditions. Accordingly, pro-inflammatory agonists and oxygen radicals induce IL-8. In the current issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Rovin and colleagues report that IL-8 can be produced by mesangial and endothelial cells through a redox-regulated, namely Nfr2-dependent, pathway. This finding is somewhat surprising as IL-8 is not a stress or detoxifying protein, nor an antioxidant. This therefore suggests an additional role for the transcription factor Nrf2 in the regulation of inflammation and provides some insights into the molecular mechanisms.