Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct74% picked this

   Gamma interferon stops white blood cells from producing

   Why this is right

   What did the passage say about white blood cells / myelin-destroying compounds? It says in the first sentence that MS is a disease in which white blood cells attack the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers. If gamma interferon stopped white blood cells from attacking the myelin sheath, then that's essentially code language for the idea that "gamma interferon stops MS". But the results of the study are incompatible with that, since giving MS patients gamma interferon made their MS worse.

   Skill tested: Must be False · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   74%
2. B

   Compatible Out of Scope9% picked this

   Administering gamma interferon to those without multiple sclerosis causes an increase in the number of

   Compatible Out of Scope: people w/o MS The whole paragraph is only about people with MS, so we don't have any ammunition for contradicting some idea about people who don't have MS. This answer would actually fit the overall narrative pretty well, as it turns out. Since MS involves white blood cells doing the damage, then giving someone gamma interferon (which increases white blood cells) should theoretically increase the damage from MS. And that's just what happened! We gave MS patients gamma and the MS got worse.

   9%
3. C

   Compatible6% picked this

   Medical researchers have discovered that the gamma interferon level in the cerebrospinal fluid skyrockets just before and

   This answer seems to align with the results of the study. In the study, the addition of gamma interferon to the body was correlated with MS becoming much worse. In this answer, the presence of gamma interferon is correlated with MS attacks.

   6%
4. D

   Compatible6% picked this

   It has now been established that most multiple sclerosis sufferers do not have

   This actually seems to match the inference we made, so it fits nicely with the passage. The results seemed to suggest that scientists were wrong in their initial guess: looks like MS isn't triggered by chronic viral infections. This answer reinforces that inference.

   6%
5. E

   Compatible5% picked this

   The drug now used to treat multiple sclerosis is known to inhibit the activity

   This makes a lot of sense. Since more gamma interferon made MS worse, it would stand to reason that less gamma interferon would make MS better. Thus, it makes sense that a drug that lowers gamma interferon activity might also reduce MS attacks.

   5%