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IL-8
Immunology Today, Vol. 11, No 10 1990
NAP-1/IL-8 Sir, Ed Leonard's letter (Irnmunol. Today, !990, 11, 223-224) regarding the inappropnateness of renaming NAP- 1 'IL-8' is well taken. I would like to add just one more point that is of relevance to the naming of cytokines in general. In most of the sciences, nomenclature is based upon structure. NAP-1/IL-8 is a member of a superfamily of cytokines that at present includes at least a dozen members and is divided into two subfamilies one camprising members that are more closely related in sequence to NAP-1/IL-8 and one whose members are more closely related to macro-
le/f rsq phage inflammatory protein 1 (MIP-1) (reviewed in Ref. 1). It makes little sense to select one cytokine out of this large and growing family and term it 'IL-8', leaving the other members to fend for themselves. A more rational nomenclature would be a systematic one including all members of the family. This is becoming increasingly important as diverse biological functions for members other than NAP-1/IL-8 have recent!y been delineated ~4 I suggest that the 'interleuHn' nomenclature be reserved fo~ proteins that are members of limited families, perhaps with only one or two members. With cytokines that have m' tiple family members, such as NAP-I and MIP-I, a systematic designation
quences as important as, and more durable than, the massive recruitment of short-lived neutrophils. Sir, Ed Leonard in a recent letter While the arguments in favour of (Immunol. Today, 1990, 11, 223- both IL-8 and NAP-1 may lend them224) advocates the use of neutro- selves to criticism, a decisive reason phil attractant/activating protein-I for continuing the use of IL-8 is rep(NAP-1) to designate a novel, recently resented by the recent introduct,on identified cytokine fo. which the term of IL-9 and IL-!0. IL-9 has been proIL-8 has been used by many. He pro- posed for p40, which is active within poses a transition period in which the both lymphoid and myeloid lindesignation IL-8 should be used eages s.6. IL-10 has been proposed to parenthetically (NAP- 1 (IL-8)) to avoid identify a mediator (CS!F) active on T further confusion. While I do agree cells, mast cells and B cells (T. Mosswith the suggestion that authors man and K. Moore, presented at the should indicate the two most widely meeting 'Cy[_qkines: Basic Principles used acronyms (IL-8 and NAP-l) in and Clinical Applications', held in the text of their papers to minimize, if Florence on 2~ 28 March 1990). not to avoid, confusion, (and I have Discontinuing the use of IL-8 at this complied with it), I disagree with the point would probably result in further proposal of abandoning IL-8. IL-8 is confusion. While for the above reasons I feel it produced by a variety of cell types including T cells, monocytes, fibro- appropriate to continue using the blasts and endothelial cells (reviewed term IL-8 until recommendations are in Ref. 1). Its spectrum of action en- released by the IUIS subcommittee, it compasses neutrophils ~, basophils 2, should be recognized that the terms lymphocytes 3 and melanoma cells4. in use (IL-8 and NAP-l) s~ffer fro, ~. a On this basis, it fulfils the criteria for major limitation: they fail to convey being designated an interleukin, al- the message that we are dealing with though, as Ed Leonard points out, the an emerging superfamily of inflamterm interleukin may be wrong in the matory cytokines that share a comfirst place given the pleiotropic action mon structural metif, attract/activate of several of these mediators on non- leukocytes and non-leukocytic cells, hem=topoietic ceils. I doubt that the arrd, at least some, have the same finding that only a small percentage chromosomal localization (for review of T cells, unlike neutrophils, respond see Refs 1, 7-9). A revision of the to IL-8 in vitro and, possibly, in "vivo, nomenclature of these mediators necessarily implies that the dominant should clearly indicate that the memaction of this cytokine in patho- bers of this growing group of physiology is that on neutrophilic cytokines are related. The nomenclagranulocytes: quantitatively, small ture could be shaped on the one in T-cell extravasation may have conse- use for other cytokines such as IL-1
In support of IL-8
should, be used that u~,.,'4 . . . . ,~'~"-- the entire family (and which allows for the inclusion of future members). Without such a system, the interleukin nomenclature will rapidly become unwieldly.
Stephen D. Wclpe Genetics Institute, 87 CambridgePark Dnve, Cambridge, MA 02140-2387, USA
References 1 Wolpe, S.D and Cerami. ~. (1989) FASEBJ. 3, 2565-2573 ~irhmnnH /% Bale: ~.ien,E., Thomas, H.e.-et o~:(~1'988)EMBO J. 7. 2025-2033 3 Graham, G.J., Wright, E.G., Hewi:l~, R etal. (1990) Nature 344, 442-444 4 Leonard, E.J. and Yoshimura, T. (1990) Immunol. Today 11, 97-10i
and interferons, using as a basis IL-8 or a novel Latin- or Greek-derived name (semaforin was advanced by A. Billiau at the Hilton Head Cytokine Workshop: it could be modified to signaforin, of consistent latin derivation, signum fero). Unti! an agreement is reached on a new nomenclature, discontinuing the use of IL-8 would add confusion for people within and outside this active field of research.
Alberto Mantovani Laboratory of Immunology, ;stituto di RicercheFarmacologiche, "Mario Negri", Via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milano, Italy.
References i Baggiolini, M., Walz, A. and Kunke!, S.L. (1989) J. Clin. Invest. 84, 1045-1049 2 Dahinden, C.A., Kurimotc, J., De Weck, A.L. et al. (1989)J. Exp. Mad. 170, 1787-1792 3 Larsen, C.G., Anderson, A.O., Appella E., Oppenheim, J.J. and Matsushima, K. (1989) Science 243, 1464-1466 4 Wang, J.M., Matsushima, K, Van Damme, I. and Mantovani, A. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 169, 165--170 5 Clyttenhove, C., Simpson, R.J. and V.~nsnick, J. (1988) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 85, 6934-6938 6 Yang, Y.C., Ricciard, S., Ciarletta, A. et al. (1989) Blood 74, 1880-1884 7 Wolpe, S.D. and Cerami, A. (1990) FASEBJ. 3, 2565-2573 8 Leonard, E.J. and Yoshimura, T. (1990) lmmunol. Today 11, 97-101 9 Mantovani, A. Curt. Opm. ImmunoL (in press) 347
NAP-1/IL-8 Sir, Ed Leonard's letter (Irnmunol. Today, !990, 11, 223-224) regarding the inappropnateness of renaming NAP- 1 'IL-8' is well taken. I would like to add just one more point that is of relevance to the naming of cytokines in general. In most of the sciences, nomenclature is based upon structure. NAP-1/IL-8 is a member of a superfamily of cytokines that at present includes at least a dozen members and is divided into two subfamilies one camprising members that are more closely related in sequence to NAP-1/IL-8 and one whose members are more closely related to macro-
le/f rsq phage inflammatory protein 1 (MIP-1) (reviewed in Ref. 1). It makes little sense to select one cytokine out of this large and growing family and term it 'IL-8', leaving the other members to fend for themselves. A more rational nomenclature would be a systematic one including all members of the family. This is becoming increasingly important as diverse biological functions for members other than NAP-1/IL-8 have recent!y been delineated ~4 I suggest that the 'interleuHn' nomenclature be reserved fo~ proteins that are members of limited families, perhaps with only one or two members. With cytokines that have m' tiple family members, such as NAP-I and MIP-I, a systematic designation
quences as important as, and more durable than, the massive recruitment of short-lived neutrophils. Sir, Ed Leonard in a recent letter While the arguments in favour of (Immunol. Today, 1990, 11, 223- both IL-8 and NAP-1 may lend them224) advocates the use of neutro- selves to criticism, a decisive reason phil attractant/activating protein-I for continuing the use of IL-8 is rep(NAP-1) to designate a novel, recently resented by the recent introduct,on identified cytokine fo. which the term of IL-9 and IL-!0. IL-9 has been proIL-8 has been used by many. He pro- posed for p40, which is active within poses a transition period in which the both lymphoid and myeloid lindesignation IL-8 should be used eages s.6. IL-10 has been proposed to parenthetically (NAP- 1 (IL-8)) to avoid identify a mediator (CS!F) active on T further confusion. While I do agree cells, mast cells and B cells (T. Mosswith the suggestion that authors man and K. Moore, presented at the should indicate the two most widely meeting 'Cy[_qkines: Basic Principles used acronyms (IL-8 and NAP-l) in and Clinical Applications', held in the text of their papers to minimize, if Florence on 2~ 28 March 1990). not to avoid, confusion, (and I have Discontinuing the use of IL-8 at this complied with it), I disagree with the point would probably result in further proposal of abandoning IL-8. IL-8 is confusion. While for the above reasons I feel it produced by a variety of cell types including T cells, monocytes, fibro- appropriate to continue using the blasts and endothelial cells (reviewed term IL-8 until recommendations are in Ref. 1). Its spectrum of action en- released by the IUIS subcommittee, it compasses neutrophils ~, basophils 2, should be recognized that the terms lymphocytes 3 and melanoma cells4. in use (IL-8 and NAP-l) s~ffer fro, ~. a On this basis, it fulfils the criteria for major limitation: they fail to convey being designated an interleukin, al- the message that we are dealing with though, as Ed Leonard points out, the an emerging superfamily of inflamterm interleukin may be wrong in the matory cytokines that share a comfirst place given the pleiotropic action mon structural metif, attract/activate of several of these mediators on non- leukocytes and non-leukocytic cells, hem=topoietic ceils. I doubt that the arrd, at least some, have the same finding that only a small percentage chromosomal localization (for review of T cells, unlike neutrophils, respond see Refs 1, 7-9). A revision of the to IL-8 in vitro and, possibly, in "vivo, nomenclature of these mediators necessarily implies that the dominant should clearly indicate that the memaction of this cytokine in patho- bers of this growing group of physiology is that on neutrophilic cytokines are related. The nomenclagranulocytes: quantitatively, small ture could be shaped on the one in T-cell extravasation may have conse- use for other cytokines such as IL-1
In support of IL-8
should, be used that u~,.,'4 . . . . ,~'~"-- the entire family (and which allows for the inclusion of future members). Without such a system, the interleukin nomenclature will rapidly become unwieldly.
Stephen D. Wclpe Genetics Institute, 87 CambridgePark Dnve, Cambridge, MA 02140-2387, USA
References 1 Wolpe, S.D and Cerami. ~. (1989) FASEBJ. 3, 2565-2573 ~irhmnnH /% Bale: ~.ien,E., Thomas, H.e.-et o~:(~1'988)EMBO J. 7. 2025-2033 3 Graham, G.J., Wright, E.G., Hewi:l~, R etal. (1990) Nature 344, 442-444 4 Leonard, E.J. and Yoshimura, T. (1990) Immunol. Today 11, 97-10i
and interferons, using as a basis IL-8 or a novel Latin- or Greek-derived name (semaforin was advanced by A. Billiau at the Hilton Head Cytokine Workshop: it could be modified to signaforin, of consistent latin derivation, signum fero). Unti! an agreement is reached on a new nomenclature, discontinuing the use of IL-8 would add confusion for people within and outside this active field of research.
Alberto Mantovani Laboratory of Immunology, ;stituto di RicercheFarmacologiche, "Mario Negri", Via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milano, Italy.
References i Baggiolini, M., Walz, A. and Kunke!, S.L. (1989) J. Clin. Invest. 84, 1045-1049 2 Dahinden, C.A., Kurimotc, J., De Weck, A.L. et al. (1989)J. Exp. Mad. 170, 1787-1792 3 Larsen, C.G., Anderson, A.O., Appella E., Oppenheim, J.J. and Matsushima, K. (1989) Science 243, 1464-1466 4 Wang, J.M., Matsushima, K, Van Damme, I. and Mantovani, A. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 169, 165--170 5 Clyttenhove, C., Simpson, R.J. and V.~nsnick, J. (1988) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 85, 6934-6938 6 Yang, Y.C., Ricciard, S., Ciarletta, A. et al. (1989) Blood 74, 1880-1884 7 Wolpe, S.D. and Cerami, A. (1990) FASEBJ. 3, 2565-2573 8 Leonard, E.J. and Yoshimura, T. (1990) lmmunol. Today 11, 97-101 9 Mantovani, A. Curt. Opm. ImmunoL (in press) 347