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Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
Nocturnal serum melatonin levels in sulfur mustard exposed patients with sleep disorders
Seyyedeh Soghra Mousavi1, E Vahedi1, M Shohrati1
1Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Sulfur mustard (SM) exposure causes respiratory disorders, progressive deterioration in lung function and mortality in injured victims and poor sleep quality is one of the most common problems among SM-exposed patients. Since melatonin has a critical role in regulation of sleep and awareness, this study aimed to evaluate the serum melatonin levels in SM-injured subjects.
Methods:
A total of 30 SM-exposed male patients and 10 controls was evaluated. Sleep quality was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); daytime sleepiness was measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea was determined by the STOP-Bang questionnaire. Polysomnography (PSG) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were also available. Nocturnal serum melatonin levels were measured using an ELISA kit.
Results:
The mean of PSQI, ESS and STOP-Bang scores in patients (11.76±3.56, 12.6±3.03 and 5.03±1.09, respectively) were significantly (p<0.01) higher than those in the controls (2.78±0.83, 4.69±1.15 and 1.18±0.82, respectively). PFTs also showed declined respiratory quality in SM-patients. There was a significant difference regarding the PSG results between patients and controls (p<0.01). The mean of nocturnal serum melatonin levels in patients (29.78±19.31 pg/mL) was significantly (p=0.005) lower than that in the controls (78.53±34.41 pg/mL).
Conclusions:
Reduced nocturnal serum melatonin and respiratory disorders can be the reasons for poor sleep quality among these patients.
Trial Registration Number:
IRCT2015092924267N1, Pre-results.
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