Metabolomic Profiles of Shift Workers and Day Workers: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize the metabolomic profiles of shift workers and day workers and to discover the effect of shift work on workers’ metabolic health. Methods A total of 824 participants aged 25 to 55 years were recruited, and 485 (275 shift workers and 210 day workers) completed the study. The mean age of the shift workers was 37.32 (5.53) years old, and that of day workers was 36.50 (7.83) years old. Serum and salivary samples were collected for the detection of key biochemical indicators (melatonin, cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol) and for metabolome profile analyses. Results Compared with female day workers, female shift workers had a higher BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference. Correspondingly, we identified 76 significant metabolites (false discovery rate < 0.05) in shift workers, including L‐tryptophan, acylcarnitines, and several fatty acids. Three pathways that presented significant differences were biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid metabolism, and ubiquinone and other terpenoid‐quinone biosynthesis. Conclusions Compared with day workers, shift workers were more prone to weight gain and central obesity and were at a higher risk for impaired lipid metabolism with disrupted circadian rhythms.

Metabolomic profiles in night shift workers: A cross-sectional study on hospital female nurses

“…Serum metabolites in shift workers were previously investigated on 60 subjects from China (25). Shift workers had altered levels of several lipids, including some glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, as observed in our study.…”

“…The first one analyzed urinary metabolites, and found altered long-chain acylcarnitines, three amino acids, and one sphingomyelin (24) in night shift workers as compared to day workers, based on both crude and adjusted models. The second study evaluated serum metabolites and identified 76 of them in shift workers (including L-tryptophan, acylcarnitines, and several fatty acids) which may represent important biomarkers of impaired lipid metabolism, leading to weight gain and central obesity (25). As such, evidence on this topic is still limited and further studies are needed.…”

Homeostatic crosstalk among gut microbiome, hypothalamic and hepatic circadian clock oscillations, immunity and metabolism in response to different light–dark cycles: A multiomics study

“…94,95 Other studies have also suggested that individuals who work night shifts are at a higher risk of weight gain and obesity due to disturbances in tryptophan metabolism. 96,97 Therefore, our data demonstrated that irregular LD cycles induced hepatic tryptophan metabolism disorders in both CD and ABX mice, particularly under constant darkness (LD0/24). The tryptophan metabolism pathway emerged as a critical pathway mediating interactions between GM, CCs, and the host, influencing immune function and metabolic homeostasis in response to irregular LD cycles.…”

Damp-heat constitution influences gut microbiota and urine metabolism of Chinese infants

“…In our study, D-Glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism was decreased in the DHC group, consistent with the above study. In a metabolomic study of 210 day workers and 275 shift workers, shift workers were more likely to have weight gain and central obesity and were at higher risk for impaired lipid metabolism, accompanied by altered ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis [ 51 ]. It was found that the decreased expression of CoQ was observed in diabetic rats as well as obese mice [ 52 , 53 ].…”