Chemokines are members of a superfamily of inducible, secreted, pro-inflammatory cytokines. Members of the chemokine family exhibit 20% to 50% homology in their predicted amino acid sequences and are divided into four subfamilies: C-C, C-X-C, C and C-X3-C. In the C-X-C or α subfamily, the first two of four cysteine motifs are separated by another amino acid residue. In the second subfamily, designated C-C or β, the first cysteines are adjacent. C subfamily members, also designated γ chemokines, lack the first and third cysteine residues of the conserved motif. In the C-X3-C, or δ subfamily, members have three amino acids between the two cysteines. The C-X-C chemokine subfamily includes IL-8, GROα/β/γ (and the murine homologs KC, MIP-2α and MIP-2β), platelet basic protein, ENA-78, GCP-2, PF4, IP-10 (and its murine homolog, CRG) and MIG.
