NIGHT SHIFT WORKERS AND HORMONE LEVELS IN WOMEN

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议研究的主要目的是确定在育龄健康妇女样本中，夜间工作是否与夜间尿中6-硫氧褪黑激素浓度降低、黄体生成素（LH）、促卵泡激素（FSH）和雌二醇水平升高有关。其次，本研究旨在调查在夜间工作的女性中，与夜间睡眠相比，白天睡眠时尿液中的褪黑激素水平是否较低，生殖激素水平是否较高。大约200名只上夜班的护士和150名只上白班的护士将在西雅图大都会地区被招募为志愿者。符合条件的参与者必须年龄在20至40岁之间，每周至少工作20小时，居住在King或Snohomish县，不服用口服避孕药或其他激素制剂，并且没有乳腺癌的个人病史。此外，夜班护士在休息日通常必须在晚上睡觉。本研究将采用一种设计，允许夜班和白班工人的受试者间比较，以及夜班工人日间睡眠和夜间睡眠的受试者内比较。参与将持续两个月。在第一个月，研究将评估月经周期规律，使用商业试剂盒确定排卵日期，进行关于就业和生育史的个人访谈，评估参与者适应轮班工作的能力，并收集血液样本。在第二个月，尿样采集将安排在工作和睡眠期间，并将在每个参与者月经周期的黄体前期到中期进行。睡眠模式将通过与尿液收集相对应的睡眠期间的活动记录仪来测量。在夜班工人醒着时收集口腔温度数据以确定温度振幅。将收集可能与所研究的激素有关的因素的信息，如饮酒、药物使用和样本采集期间的日照时间。尿样将检测尿中褪黑素、6-硫氧褪黑素的主要代谢物，以及LH、FSH和雌二醇的水平。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary objective of the proposed study is to determine whether working at night is associated with decreased levels of the nocturnal urinary concentration of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin, and increased levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol in a sample of healthy women of reproductive age. Secondarily, this study is designed to investigate whether urinary levels of melatonin are lower and levels of reproductive hormones are higher during daytime sleep relative to nighttime sleep among women who work at night. Approximately 200 nurses who work the night shift exclusively and 150 nurses who work the day shift exclusively will be recruited as volunteers in the Seattle metropolitan area. Eligible participants must be between the ages of 20 and 40, employed for at least 20 hours/week, resident of King or Snohomish County, do not take oral contraceptives or other hormone preparations, and have no personal history of breast cancer. In addition, the night shift nurses must normally sleep at night during off days. This study will employ a design which allows for both between-subject comparisons of night shift v. day shift workers, and within-subject comparisons during day sleep v. night sleep among the night shift workers. Participation will span two months. In the first month the study will evaluate menstrual cycle regularity, determine the day of ovulation using a commercial kit, conduct a personal interview regarding employment and reproductive history, assess the participant's ability to adjust to shift work, and collect a blood sample. In the second month urine sample collections will be scheduled during both work and sleep periods, and will take place in the early to mid-luteal phase of each participant's cycle. Sleep patterns will be measured via actigraphy during the sleep periods corresponding to urine collection. Oral temperature data will be collected during wake-time in the night shift workers to determine temperature amplitude. Information will be collected on factors which may be related to the hormones under study, such as alcohol consumption, medication use, and hours of daylight during sample collection. Urine samples will be assayed for the primary urinary metabolite of melatonin, 6-sulphatoxymelatonin, and levels of LH, FSH, and estradiol.