Reference : Metabolomic profiles in night shift workers: A cross-sectional study on hospital fema...
Scientific journals : Article
Human health sciences : Public health, health care sciences & services
http://hdl.handle.net/10993/54461
Metabolomic profiles in night shift workers: A cross-sectional study on hospital female nurses
English
Borroni, Elisa* [University of Milan > Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health]
Frigerio, Gianfranco* mailto [University of Luxembourg > Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) > Environmental Cheminformatics >]
Polledri, Elisa []
Mercadante, Rosa []
Maggioni, Cristina [University of Milan > Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health]
Fedrizzi, Luca [Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico > Occupational Health Unit]
Pesatori, Angela Cecilia [University of Milan > Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health]
Fustinoni, Silvia [University of Milan > Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health]
Carugno, Michele [University of Milan > Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health]
* These authors have contributed equally to this work.
23-Feb-2023
Frontiers in Public Health
Frontiers
Yes
International
2296-2565
Lausanne
Switzerland
[en] night shift work ; nurses ; targeted metabolomics ; Tobit regression ; machine-learning ; Random Forest ; occupational health
[en] Background and aim: Shift work, especially including night shifts, has been found associated with several diseases, including obesity, diabetes, cancers, and cardiovascular, mental, gastrointestinal and sleep disorders. Metabolomics (an omics-based methodology) may shed light on early biological alterations underlying these associations. We thus aimed to evaluate the effect of night shift work (NSW) on serum metabolites in a sample of hospital female nurses.

Methods: We recruited 46 nurses currently working in NSW in Milan (Italy), matched to 51 colleagues not employed in night shifts. Participants filled in a questionnaire on demographics, lifestyle habits, personal and family health history and work, and donated a blood sample. The metabolome was evaluated through a validated targeted approach measuring 188 metabolites. Only metabolites with at least 50% observations above the detection limit were considered, after standardization and log-transformation. Associations between each metabolite and NSW were assessed applying Tobit regression models and Random Forest, a machine-learning algorithm.

Results: When comparing current vs. never night shifters, we observed lower levels of 21 glycerophospholipids and 6 sphingolipids, and higher levels of serotonin (+171.0%, 95%CI: 49.1–392.7), aspartic acid (+155.8%, 95%CI: 40.8–364.7), and taurine (+182.1%, 95%CI: 67.6–374.9). The latter was higher in former vs. never night shifters too (+208.8%, 95%CI: 69.2–463.3). Tobit regression comparing ever (i.e., current + former) and never night shifters returned similar results. Years worked in night shifts did not seem to affect metabolite levels. The Random-Forest algorithm confirmed taurine and aspartic acid among the most important variables in discriminating current vs. never night shifters.

Conclusions: This study, although based on a small sample size, shows altered levels of some metabolites in night shift workers. If confirmed, our results may shed light on early biological alterations that might be related to adverse health effects of NSW.
This research was funded by the University of Milan (UNIMI - Piano Sostegno alla Ricerca Anno 2019 - Linea 2). GF was currently supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) for project A18/BM/12341006. ACP was supported by the FNR.
Researchers
http://hdl.handle.net/10993/54461
10.3389/fpubh.2023.1082074
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1082074/full

File(s) associated to this reference

Fulltext file(s):

FileCommentaryVersionSizeAccess
Open access
fpubh-11-1082074.pdfFull textPublisher postprint1.08 MBView/Open

Additional material(s):

File Commentary Size Access
Open access
Data_Sheet_1_Metabolomic profiles in night shift workers_ A cross-sectional study on hospital female nurses.ZIPSupplementary material1.13 MBView/Open

Bookmark and Share SFX Query

All documents in ORBilu are protected by a user license.