title: Shift Work, Chronotype, and Melatonin Patterns among Female Hospital Employees on Day and Night Shifts.
abstract: Shift work-related carcinogenesis is hypothesized to be mediated by melatonin; however, few studies have considered the potential effect modification of this underlying pathway by chronotype or specific aspects of shift work such as the number of consecutive nights in a rotation. In this study, we examined melatonin patterns in relation to shift status, stratified by chronotype and number of consecutive night shifts, and cumulative lifetime exposure to shift work.
  
  
  
  Melatonin patterns of 261 female personnel (147 fixed-day and 114 on rotations, including nights) at Kingston General Hospital were analyzed using cosinor analysis. Urine samples were collected from all voids over a 48-hour specimen collection period for measurement of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin concentrations using the Buhlmann ELISA Kit. Chronotypes were assessed using mid-sleep time (MSF) derived from the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Sociodemographic, health, and occupational information were collected by questionnaire.
  
  
  
  Rotational shift nurses working nights had a lower mesor and an earlier time of peak melatonin production compared to day-only workers. More pronounced differences in mesor and acrophase were seen among later chronotypes, and shift workers working ≥3 consecutive nights. Among nurses, cumulative shift work was associated with a reduction in mesor.
  
  
  
  These results suggest that evening-types and/or shift workers working ≥3 consecutive nights are more susceptible to adverse light-at-night effects, whereas long-term shift work may also chronically reduce melatonin levels.
  
  
  
  Cumulative and current exposure to shift work, including nights, affects level and timing of melatonin production, which may be related to carcinogenesis and cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(5); 830-8. ©2016 AACR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Cancer Research Institute, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. School of Nursing, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tranmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Cancer Research Institute, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Korsiak
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Day
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Cancer Research Institute, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. aronson@queensu.ca.
authors.forename: Kristan J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Aronson
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin