Systemic lupus ethematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterize

Question

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Passage # 69, Date: 05-May-2020
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Systemic lupus ethematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the aberrant and chronic stimulation of the innate immune system—our first line of defense against infection. Under normal circumstances, immune cells are recruited to sites of infection through the production of chemical factors called cytokines. In patients with SLE, cytokines recruit cells to attack normal, healthy tissues without the presence of an infectious pathogen. This results in the proliferation of antibody-immune complexes that cause inflammation and damage to the kidneys, blood vessels, and skin.

Patients with SLE are often treated with courses of strong immunosupressive drugs, such as cytotoxic drugs, antimalarial compounds and glucocorticoids. While glucocorticoid therapy is considered the most effective course of treatment, it is regrettably transient, requiring more aggressive (and potentially more harmful) treatments, such as high-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy. Discovering why glucocorticoid therapy fails to provide lasting relief has been the subject of numerous recent studies. The main culprit seems to be the plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC)—innate immune cells that circulate in the blood and are found in the peripheral lymphoid organs. While pDCs are normally susceptible to treatment with glucocorticoids, they are resistant to such treatment in patients with SLE. And, since pDCs are responsible for producing the key cytokines involved in SLE pathogenesis, the level of thesecytokines does not substantially decrease with treatment, and symptoms quickly relapse. The precise mechanism by which pDC resistance occurs is still unknown.   1 
 C 
 1. In the passage the author is primarily concerned with doing which of the following?

(A) outlining the mechanism by which immune cells attack healthy tissues in patients with SLE
(B) demonstrating the difficulties that must be overcome if a satisfactory cure for SLE is to be found
(C) describing the pathogenesis of SLE and explaining why the disease is difficult to treat
(D) showing why one explanation of the difficulties involved in treating SLE falls short in explaining these difficulties
(E) evaluating the evidence supporting the explanation as to why SLE is difficult to treat

2 
 E 
 2. Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?

(A) Identifying a cure for SLE requires understanding the precise mechanism by which pDC resistance occurs.
(B) Scientists have made little progress in the treatment of SLE.
(C) Successful treatment of SLE requires reducing the harmful effects of antibody-immune complexes on healthy tissues.
(D) In patients with SLE, the risks associated with the currently available courses of treatment outweigh the benefits of such treatments.
(E) Despite recent advances in our understanding of the immune system, a satisfactory course of treatment for patients with SLE is yet to be found.

NandishSS · Answer

hazelnut  What is the difference between  the author is primarily concerned with doing which of the following and central idea of the passage?

Do you have the explanation?

TheStoryteller · Answer

Q1- 
(A) outlining the mechanism by which immune cells attack healthy tissues in patients with SLE-- Wrong.This is no detail about the mechanism.
(B) demonstrating the difficulties that must be overcome if a satisfactory cure for SLE is to be found--Wrong.The argument doesn't talk about the difficulties.
(C) describing the pathogenesis of SLE and explaining why the disease is difficult to treat. Correct. From the first sentence the author explains about SLE, it's working and the methods used to cure it, and their limitations and failure to treat it completely.
(D) showing why one explanation of the difficulties involved in treating SLE falls short in explaining these difficulties.--Wrong. No such thing in the passage.
(E) evaluating the evidence supporting the explanation as to why SLE is difficult to treat.--Wrong. There is no such evaluation.
Q2- Option E is correct!
In the first paragraph, the passage tells us about the mechanisms of immune system, explaining SLE and how it forces the immune system to attack the body itself. The crux of the second paragraph is about the drugs used to treat SLE, which couldnt provide a permanent cure and the author ends the second paragraph with the statement that we still don't know the precise mechanism by which pDC resistance occurs, stating our inability to successfully cure it . Thus Option E.

poojakhanduja3017 · Answer

Got Both Correct. Total Time : 6 Min 30 Sec, maybe because the topic is unfamiliar.

Answer 1: C
Answer 2 : E 
 And Yes, even though i got the answers right, I will be waiting for OE to know the actual difference between the two questions and the need for having such close questions

1. In the passage the author is primarily concerned with doing which of the following?

(A) outlining the mechanism by which immune cells attack healthy tissues in patients with SLE :  The passage only talks about the mechanism in Lines 6-8 
(B) demonstrating the difficulties that must be overcome if a satisfactory cure for SLE is to be found :   It only briefly touches upon the difficulties with pDc  
(C) describing the pathogenesis of SLE and explaining why the disease is difficult to treat  Correct 
(D) showing why one explanation of the difficulties involved in treating SLE falls short in explaining these difficulties  The second para is about this but not the whole passage combined 
(E) evaluating the evidence supporting the explanation as to why SLE is difficult to treat   It doesn't evaluate the evidence because author is convinced that it is difficult to treat. So, it supports the explanation without evaluating

2. Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?

(A) Identifying a cure for SLE requires understanding the precise mechanism by which pDC resistance occurs.   The passage says that in the last line of second para but it doesn't communicate the central idea because the passage also talks about what SLE is, what advancements have been made on that front and then lastly, understanding the mechanism  
(B) Scientists have made little progress in the treatment of SLE.   They have made progress mentioned in the second para. It being not enough is a separate question. 
(C) Successful treatment of SLE requires reducing the harmful effects of antibody-immune complexes on healthy tissues.   This statement is never mentioned.  
(D) In patients with SLE, the risks associated with the currently available courses of treatment outweigh the benefits of such treatments.  It never said this. This is irrelevant 
(E) Despite recent advances in our understanding of the immune system, a satisfactory course of treatment for patients with SLE is yet to be found. :  This follows the central theme of the passage

VerbalBot · Answer

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Systemic lupus ethematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterize

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Systemic lupus ethematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterize

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