IFNA8 (interferon alpha 8) is a type I interferon produced by macrophages that exerts pleiotropic immune functions. The protein exhibits antiviral and immunomodulatory activities, stimulating production of protein kinase and oligoadenylate synthetase 1. IFNA8 is specifically upregulated in alveolar macrophages following Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and modulates M. tuberculosis-induced proinflammatory cytokine responses 1. The gene regulates adaptive immune responses, including B cell and T cell activation, and natural killer cell activation 1. Clinically, IFNA8 expression correlates with disease outcomes across multiple conditions. High IFNA8 expression predicts unfavorable survival in lung cancer patients, mechanistically involving aberrant AKT signaling activation that promotes tumor cell viability, proliferation, and metastasis 2. IFNA8 genetic variants influence disease susceptibility: the -884A allele haplotype associates with reduced IFN-α production and increased susceptibility to severe malarial anemia and mortality in children 3, while the rs12553612 A-allele variant is associated with better glioma patient survival through enhanced Oct-1-mediated promoter activity 4. Additionally, IFNA8 polymorphisms contribute to genetic predisposition for ankylosing spondylitis-associated uveitis 5. These findings establish IFNA8 as both a protective immune mediator and a context-dependent disease biomarker.