Shift work disrupts Immune regulation of the transcriptome in hospital nurses

Introduction Shift work, especially night shifts in medicine, disrupts nurses‘ circadian rhythms, potentially causing immune dysregulation and health risks, with significant economic and medical burdens. The molecular mechanisms of shift work-related immune disorders are understudied. This research analyzes transcriptomes of nurses' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from different shifts to identify key differentially expressed genes and explore their roles in immune regulation. Method This study combined bioinformatics and animal experiments, analyzing the GSE122541 dataset for DEGs in day and night shift nurses' PBMCs. WGCNA identified core gene modules linked to night shift. Protein interaction networks were analyzed for hub genes, with expression validated in a circadian rhythm disorder mouse model. Results The analysis found many differentially expressed genes in night shift nurses' PBMCs, mainly in immune pathways like T-cell receptor signaling and differentiation. WGCNA identified gene modules linked to night shifts, intersecting to reveal 8 candidate hub genes, with TRIM22 and JAK1 core in the network and downregulated in nurses. Mouse models showed Trim22 and Jak1 also decreased during nighttime activity, indicating their downregulation is a common trait in circadian rhythm disorders, involving interferon-γ and NF-κB immune signaling. Conclusion This study shows that night shift work disrupts circadian rhythm and downregulates immune genes like TRIM22 and JAK1 in PBMCs. These genes may link shift work to immune imbalance, are potentially associated with IFN-γ and NF-κB pathways, offering potential targets for understanding shift work's health risks and developing interventions.