Shiftwork, functional bowel symptoms, and the microbiome.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Gastroenterology
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Millions of Americans work non-standard shifts, with high rates of functional bowel disorders.
• Circadian disruption from shift work may impact gut microbiota, potentially causing gastrointestinal issues.
• The link between shift work, gut microbiome alterations, and functional bowel disorders remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the gut microbiome composition and diversity between night shift and day shift workers.
• To investigate differences in the gut microbiome based on the time of sample collection (beginning vs. end of shift).
• To determine if the gut microbiome differs between shift workers with and without irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Main Methods:

• Fifty-one nurses working 12-hour day or night shifts provided demographic data and completed the Rome III IBS module.
• Gut microbiota samples were collected twice per nurse (pre- and post-shift) using standardized methods.
• 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to analyze microbiome composition and diversity at the genus level.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in gut microbiota alpha or beta diversity were observed between day and night shift nurses.
• Marginal differences in beta diversity were noted when comparing samples collected at the beginning versus the end of shifts for day shift workers.
• Three operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found to be differentially abundant in nurses reporting IBS symptoms.

Conclusions:

• This study did not find significant alterations in gut microbiome diversity associated with shift work type (day vs. night).
• Minor temporal variations in the microbiome were observed within shifts, particularly in day shift workers.
• A small number of microbial differences were associated with the presence of IBS symptoms in shift workers, warranting further investigation.