assessment of plasma homocysteine levels in shift healthcare workers

Background. Previous studies have indicated an association between shift work and cardiovascular disease. Increased plasma homocysteine levels has been proposed as a cardiovascular risk factor independent of other conventional risk factors. Aims. Our aim is to verify the usefulness of plasma homocysteine as a screening test to prevent cardiovascular diseases in shift workers. Methods. Thirty rotating shift nurses and 28 daytime nurses have been submitted during 18 months to regular taking of arterial pressure and body weight. Venous blood was drawn to measure glycaemia, triglycerides, plasma cortisol level, HDL cholesterol, blood cell count, alanine-aminotransferase, aspartate- aminotransferasi, γ-GT, and plasma homocysteine. Results. No increase in average plasma homocysteine in rotating shift nurses, nor a higher frequency in hyperomocisteinemia than in daytime workers was found. A significant difference was observed in body weight and systolic blood pressure (p<0.05), which resulted higher in rotating shift workers than in daytime workers. A significant increase was observed in alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) among shift workers (p<0.05). Conclusions. Plasma homocysteine measurement should not be employed as a screening test for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in rotating shift workers

NOCTURNIN Gene Diurnal Variation in Healthy Volunteers and Expression Levels in Shift Workers

The NOCTURNIN gene links nutrient absorption and metabolism to the circadian clock. Shift workers are at a heightened risk of overweight and of developing obesity and metabolic syndrome. This study investigates the diurnal variation of NOCTURNIN in healthy volunteers and its expression levels in rotational shift and daytime workers

Peripheral skin temperature and circadian biological clock in shift nurses after a day off

The circadian biological clock is essentially based on the light/dark cycle. Some people working with shift schedules cannot adjust their sleep/wake cycle to the light/dark cycle, and this may result in alterations of the circadian biological clock. This study explored the circadian biological clock of shift and daytime nurses using non-invasive methods. Peripheral skin temperature, cortisol and melatonin levels in saliva, and Per2 expression in pubic hair follicle cells were investigated for 24 h after a day off. Significant differences were observed in peripheral skin temperature and cortisol levels between shift and daytime nurses. No differences in melatonin levels were obtained. Per2 maximum values were significantly different between the two groups. Shift nurses exhibited lower circadian variations compared to daytime nurses, and this may indicate an adjustment of the circadian biological clock to continuous shift schedules. Non-invasive procedures, such as peripheral skin temperature measurement, determination of cortisol and melatonin in saliva, and analysis of clock genes in hair follicle cells, may be effective approaches to extensively study the circadian clock in shift workers