Effects of Night Work on the Immune Function

为探讨轮班工作对淋巴细胞亚群、自然杀伤细胞活性等免疫指标的影响，对105名护士(男28名，女77名)进行了调查。连续两个早晨采集轮班工人的血样。第一天的抽样是在白班前的早上进行的，第二天的抽样是在夜班结束时进行的。对固定日班工人进行两次早晨采血，结果显示：(1)固定日班工人与倒班工人的外周血淋巴细胞亚群比例及NK细胞活性无显著差异，(2)夜班工人的CD3、CD4细胞比例高于白班工人。夜班后早晨的NK细胞活性和NK细胞比例均低于白班早晨。女性轮班工人的CD4、0D8、CD16+56+较男性轮班工人有更大的变化。吸烟者的CD4和CD16+56+较不吸烟者有更大的变化。夜间工作后疲劳感与CD_4细胞比例升高有关，但与其他免疫指标有关。(3)夜班前轮班时间差异对淋巴细胞亚群和疲劳程度无明显影响。(4)女性昼夜工作时免疫功能的变化大于男性。吸烟和疲劳与免疫功能有关。这些结果表明夜间工作对免疫功能的昼夜节律有短期影响。即使这些免疫功能的变化仅限于急性期，重复改变免疫功能的有序昼夜节律也可能产生长期影响。

To investigate the effects of shift work on immune parameters, such as lymphocyte subpopulations and natural killer cell activity, 105 nurses (28 males and 77 females) were studied. Blood samples of shift workers were collected from shift workers on two consecutive mornings. The first day's sampling was carried out in the morning just before the daytime shift, and sampling of the second day was carried out at the end of the night shift. For fixed daytime workers, blood samples were taken twice in the morning.(1)No significant differences were observed between shift workers and fixed day workers in the proportion of circulating lymphocyte subsets and NK cell activity from samples taken in the morning of the daytime work.(2)Shift workers exhibited higher level of the proportion of CD3 and CD4 in the morning after night time shift than daytime shift. NK cell activity and proportion of NK cells in the morning after night shift were lower than those in the morning of daytime shift. Female shift workers exhibited greater changes in CD4, 0D8, and CD16+56+ than male shift workers. Smokers showed greater changes in CD4 and CD 16+56+ than non-smokers. Fatigue feeling after night work related with an increase in the proportion of CD4 but with other immune parameters.(3)The difference of shift schedule before night shift did not show any difference in lymphocyte subsets and fatigue level.(4)The changes of immune function between daytime work and night work were larger in women than men. Smoking and fatigue related to immune function.These results suggest that night work has short term effects on diurnal rhythm of immune function. Even if these changes of immune function are limited to acute phase, repetition of modification of ordinal circadian rhythm of immune function might have long-term effects.