0350 Pathways: Exploring the Relationship Between Shift Work and the Gut Microbiome

Abstract Introduction Shift work is associated with sleep and circadian disruption, which may have adverse effects on the gut microbiome. However, little is known about the relationship between shift work and the gut microbiome in free-living humans. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether shift work detrimentally impacts the gut microbiome. Methods Day- and night-shift workers were recruited from clinical settings. Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare alpha-diversity (Inverse Simpson), beta-diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity), and taxa relative abundance between groups. Percent differences are reported for taxa that differed based on Mann-Whitney tests (P< 0.05). Because these analyses are preliminary, unadjusted p-values are presented. Results Six night- (83% female, age 29 ± 2.5) and six day-shift (50% female, age 33 ± 6.8) workers were included. Mean alpha-diversity was 9.0 among day-shift workers and 8.1 among night-shift workers (P=0.64). Shift work explained 8.5% and 9.7% of variability in genera and species beta-diversity, respectively (P=0.50, 0.38). Night-shift workers had 102% higher mean relative abundance of Intestinimonas (P=0.04), while day-shift workers had 99% higher relative abundance of Mogibacterium (P=0.01). Day-shift workers had 79% higher mean relative abundance of Mogibacterium diversum (P=0.02), while night-shift workers had 87% higher relative abundance of Streptococcus suis (P=0.04) and 108% higher relative abundance of Treponema succinifaciens (P=0.02). Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence that shift work may be associated with alterations to the gut microbiome. For example, we observed differences in the abundance of Intestinimonas and Mogibacterium. Intestinimonas is a butyrate-producing microbe, with anti-inflammatory effects, while Mogibacterium is thought to be deleterious to gut health. These associations are in the opposite direction than we expected, perhaps because participants were from a healthy population and this is a compensatory mechanism, though further exploration is needed. Future analyses will examine the functional potential of the gut microbiota in day- vs. night-shift workers. Support (if any) Anschutz CCTSI Pilot Grant Award, CTSA Grant ULI TR002535, Transdisciplinary Training Grant in Sleep and Circadian Research (T32 HD007014), Office of Naval Research MURI grant N00014-15-1-2809.