Circadian type, chronic fatigue, and serum IgM in the shift workers of an industrial organization

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Naein Branch, Islamic Azad University, Naein, Iran

2 Department of Immunology, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

3 Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background: Night shift workers are more vulnerable to immune-related diseases. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is a potent activator of complement, and complement has a crucial role in defense against bacterial infections. Circadian type is known as an effective agent on vulnerability and adaptation with shift work due to non-compliance with shift stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation of circadian type and chronic fatigue with the serum concentration of IgM in a group of shift workers.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in an industrial organization in Isfahan, Iran. The study population consisted of 221 male employees working at night shifts who were selected by random cluster sampling. The following questionnaires were used: composite morningness (Torsvall and Akerstedt), circadian type (Folkard), and chronic fatigue (Barton and colleagues). The serum concentration of IgM was measured by the nephelometric method. The data were analyzed with the Pearson coefficient correlation and the path analysis for finding the pattern of the structural equations to evaluate the direct and indirect relationships between variables, using the SPSS 15 and LISREL 8.5 statistical software.
Results: Significant correlation was documented between morningness, flexibility, languidness, and chronic fatigue with the serum concentration of IgM (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: The results showed that the shift workers with morningness and languidness experienced more problems during the working hours due to more tiredness,and had decreased serum concentration of IgM. Correct management of shift work may attenuate fatigue in workers and also improve many health issues experienced by the shift workers.

Keywords

1.
British Medical Association. Shift Patterns Must Improve: Minimizing the Risks. 2010. Available from: http://www.bma.org.uk/images/shiftwork_tcm26-196305.pdf. [Last accessed on 2013 Jun 2].  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Pévet P. Melatonin and biological rhythms. Biol Signals Recept 2000;9:203-12.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Folkard S. Do permanent night workers show circadian adjustment? A review based on the endogenous melatonin rhythm. Chronobiol Int 2008;25:215-24.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.
Reinberg A, Ashkenazi I. Internal desynchronization of circadian rhythms and tolerance to shift work. Chronobiol Int 2008;25:625-43.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.
Spurgeon A, Harrington JM, Cooper CL. Health and safety problems associated with long working hours: A review of the current position. Occup Environ Med 1997;54:367-75.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
Knutsson A. Health disorders of shift workers. Occup Med (Lond) 2003;53:103-8.  Back to cited text no. 6
    
7.
Swaab DF, Slob AK, Houtsmuller EJ, Brand T, Zhou JN. Increased number of vasopressin neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of ′bisexual′ adult male rats following perinatal treatment with the aromatase blocker ATD. Brain Res Dev Brain Res 1995;85:273-9.  Back to cited text no. 7
    
8.
Jerjes WK, Cleare AJ, Wessely S, Wood PJ, Taylor NF. Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and cortisone output in chronic fatigue syndrome. J Affect Disord 2005;87:299-304.  Back to cited text no. 8
    
9.
Prather AA, Marsland AL, Hall M, Neumann SA, Muldoon MF, Manuck SB. Normative variation in self-reported sleep quality and sleep debt is associated with stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Biol Psychol 2009;82:12-7.  Back to cited text no. 9
    
10.
Takahashi M, Tanigawa T, Tachibana N, Mutou K, Kage Y, Smith L, et al. Modifying effects of perceived adaptation to shift work on health, wellbeing, and alertness on the job among nuclear power plant operators. Ind Health 2005;43:171-8.  Back to cited text no. 10
    
11.
Copertaro A, Bracci M, Barbaresi M, Santarelli L. Assessment of cardiovascular risk in shift healthcare workers. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 2008;15:224-9.  Back to cited text no. 11
    
12.
Nagai M, Morikawa Y, Kitaoka K, Nakamura K, Sakurai M, Nishijo M, et al. Effects of fatigue on immune function in nurses performing shift work. J Occup Health 2011;53:312-9.  Back to cited text no. 12
    
13.
Godbout JP, Glaser R. Stress-induced immune dysregulation: Implications for wound healing, infectious disease and cancer. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2006;1:421-7.  Back to cited text no. 13
    
14.
Carrillo-Vico A, Guerrero JM, Lardone PJ, Reiter RJ. A review of the multiple actions of melatonin on the immune system. Endocrine 2005;27:189-200.  Back to cited text no. 14
    
15.
Ravetch J, Bolland S. IgG Fc receptors. Annu Rev Immunol 2001;19:275-90.  Back to cited text no. 15
    
16.
Anderson BL. Cancer. In: Friedman HS, editors. Encyclopedia of Mental Health. San Diego: Academic Press; 1998. p. 373-8.  Back to cited text no. 16
    
17.
Goodkin K, Visser AP. Psychoneuroimmunology: Stress, Mental Disorders, and Health. 1 st ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2000. p. 211- 216.  Back to cited text no. 17
    
18.
Barrett KE, Boitano S, Barman SM, Brooks HL. Ganong′s Review of Medical Physiology. 24 th ed. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. p. 146-169  Back to cited text no. 18
    
19.
Guyton AC, Hall JE. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 9 th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1996. p. 121-138  Back to cited text no. 19
    
20.
Segerstrom SC, Miller GF. Psychological stress and the human immune system: A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inguriy. Psychol Bull 2004;130:601-30.  Back to cited text no. 20
    
21.
Ciaccio C. B cell activation and antibody production. In: Abbas AK, Lichtman AH, Pillai S, editors. Cellular and Molecular Immunology. Philadelphia: WB Elsevier Saunders Company; 2012. p. 243-68.  Back to cited text no. 21
    
22.
Casale G, Marinoni GL, d′Angelo R, de Nicola P. Circadian rhythm of immunoglobulins in aged persons. Age Ageing 1983;12:81-5.  Back to cited text no. 22
    
23.
Copertaro A, Bracci M, Gesuita R, Carle F, Amati M, Baldassari M, et al. Influence of shift-work on selected immune variables in nurses. Ind Health 2011;49:597-604.  Back to cited text no. 23
    
24.
Härmä M. Circadian adaptation to shift work. A review. In: Hornberger S, Knauth P, Costa G, Folkard S, editors. Shift Work in the 21 st Century. Frankfurt: Peter Lang; 2000. p. 125-30.  Back to cited text no. 24
    
25.
Davison GC, Neale J. Abnormal Psychology. 3 rd ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons; 2001. p. 189  Back to cited text no. 25
    
26.
Khodapanahi MK. Physiological Psychology. Iran, Tehran: Publication of Samt; 2001. p. 86  Back to cited text no. 26
    
27.
Adan A, Fabbri M, Natale V, Prat B. Sleep beliefs scale (SBS) and circadian typology. J Sleep Res 2006;15:125-32.  Back to cited text no. 27
    
28.
Folkard S, Monk TH, Lobban MC. Short and long-term adjustment of circadian rhythms in ′permanent′ night nurses. Ergonomics 1978;21:785-99.  Back to cited text no. 28
    
29.
Smith CS, Folkard S, Schmieder RA, Parra LF, Spelten E, Almiral H, et al. Investigation of morning-evening orientation in six countries using the preferences scale. Pers Individ Dif 2002;32:949-68.  Back to cited text no. 29
    
30.
Cohen L, Manion L, Morrison K. Research Methods in Education. 5th ed. London: Routledge; 2000. p. 211.  Back to cited text no. 30
    
31.
Barton J, Spelten E, Totterdell P, Smith LR, Folkard S, Costa G. The standard shiftwork index: A battery of questionnaires for assessing shift work-related problems. Work Stress 1995;9:3-30.  Back to cited text no. 31
    
32.
Steinman L. Elaborate interactions between the immune and nervous systems. Nat Immunol 2004;5:575-81.  Back to cited text no. 32
    
33.
Díaz-Morales JF. Morning and evening-types: Exploring their personality styles. Pers Individ Dif 2007;43:769-78.  Back to cited text no. 33
    
34.
Mitchell PJ, Radman JR. The relationship between morningness-eveningness, personality and habitual caffeine consumption. Pers Individ Dif 1993;15:105-8.  Back to cited text no. 34
    
35.
Nagai M, Morikawa Y, Kitaoka K, Nakamura K, Sakurai M, Nishijo M, et al. Effects of fatigue on immune function in nurses performing shift work. J Occup Health 2011;53:312-9.  Back to cited text no. 35
    
36.
van Mark A, Weiler SW, Schröder M, Otto A, Jauch-Chara K, Groneberg DA, et al. The impact of shift work induced chronic circadian disruption on IL-6 and TNF-alpha immune responses. J Occup Med Toxicol 2010;5:18.  Back to cited text no. 36
    
37.
Shakhar K, Valdimarsdottir HB, Guevarra JS, Bovbjerg DH. Sleep, fatigue, and NK cell activity in healthy volunteers: Significant relationships revealed by within subject analyses. Brain Behav Immun 2007;21:180-4.  Back to cited text no. 37
    
38.
Ader R, Cohen N, Felten D. Psychoneuroimmunology: Interactions between the nervous system and the immune system. Lancet 1995;345:99-103.  Back to cited text no. 38
    
39.
Ziemssen T, Kern S. Psychoneuroimmunology--cross-talk between the immune and nervous systems. J Neurol 2007;254(Suppl 2):II8-11.  Back to cited text no. 39
    
40.
Matchock RL, Mordkoff JT. Chronotype and time-of-day influences on the alerting, orienting, and executive components of attention. Exp Brain Res 2009;192:189-8.  Back to cited text no. 40
    
41.
Richardson G, Tate B. Hormonal and pharmacological manipulation of circadian clock: Recent developments and future strategies. Sleep 2000;23 Suppl 3:S77-85.  Back to cited text no. 41
    
42.
Arushanian EB, Baĭda OA, Mastiagin SS, Popov AV. Significance of chronotypic specificity of healthy individuals for the variability of cardiac rhythm. Fiziol Cheloveka 2006;32:80-3.  Back to cited text no. 42
    
43.
Khaleghipour S, Masjedi M, Ahadi H, Enayate M, Pasha G, Nadery F, et al. Morning and nocturnal serum melatonin rhythm levels in patients with major depressive disorder: An analytical cross-sectional study. Sao Paulo Med J 2012;130:167-72.  Back to cited text no. 43