This implicated that the affected hBECs were unlikely to illicit any innate immune response, different from the situation observed for hPBMCs, which the expressions of TNF, CXCL8, CXCL10 as well as other immunoregulatory genes including SOD2, CCL3, STAT1, CLEC4E, IL1B, IER3, PIK3R2, and C3 were significantly increased post-infection (Fig. 2 and 4A). This evidence concerns the gene C3 and infection.