The Influence of Variable Environmental Factors on Human's Organism Adaptive Ability Oddziaływanie zmiennych czynników środowiskowych na zdolność adaptacyjną organizmu człowieka

When interpreting the results of laboratory tests in specific patients as false positives, the modifying roles of cli− matic, ethnicity, diet, and other factors should be taken into account. As there are few reports in the literature about the reliability of laboratory tests, a study based on multidisciplinary knowledge from such fields as climatology, anthropology, physiology, and laboratory diagnostics is required. A broad range of environmental factors signifi− cantly affect the function of the human organism. At the individual level they can modify the values of some diag− nostic parameters and the course of vital processes and can also influence the general profile of these parameters in the whole population. Many environmental factors contribute to variability in laboratory results despite mainte− nance of the same conditions and methods of measurements. The influence of environmental factors may be most distinctly seen with regard to climatic zone and geography. When differences in daily temperature and light inten− sity among the seasons are not so prominent, seasonal influences may not cause substantial changes in diagnostic parameters. However, in climatic zones with significant differences in temperature and hours of daylight during particular periods of the year, the seasons markedly affect vital processes of the organisms. Circadian and month− ly rhythms are also essential. Another significant environmental factor is diet, which is usually related to ethnic affiliation and, through environmental adaptation, correlates with climate. The predominance of certain blood groups in a population is also a result of environmental adaptation. The effects of environmental factors usually overlap and intensify one another. Reference values of commonly measured diagnostic parameters reflect only the norms established for the specific population. Persons from different populations, ethnic groups, or areas of habi− tation may demonstrate diagnostic values outside the referential ranges, which does not always mean pathology. In the modern world, in which human migration is very common and much easier than before, this problem has become more important. It is also significant with regard to commonly performed epidemiological cross−sectional studies in different populations and subsequent comparisons of results (Adv Clin Exp Med 2009, 18, 5, 519–527).