SerumPro-oxidant-Antioxidant Balance Assay in Nurses whoWorking Day and Rotating Night Shift

Nursing is a very stressful occupation, particularly when associated with changing shift working thatmay result in oxidative stress. Oxidative Stress is created by amisbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants towards pro-oxidants. Damage to lipids, protein, DNA, growth and cell function is obtained as result of oxidant. OS has been played an important role in many of diseases. In this study, we assessed the potential for OS by determining the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance assay (PAB assay) in nurses who worked variable shift patterns; compared with nurses only working day shifts and a non-nurse control group.

Sera of 44nurseswithrotating shiftworking (night andday) and43nursesworkingday shift only and80healthy subjects, who did not work shifts and were not nurses, were collected and serumPAB wasmeasured.

A significant higher serumPAB valuewas observed in shiftworking and daytime nurses (152.2843.64HK) in comparison to the control group (63.64  34.41 HK index), P Value = 0.001. In day time nurses, also serum PAB between male (119.09  47.14 HK) and female (162.53  37.02 HK) in nursing workers was significant, P Value = 0.005. In the night shift working nurses, there was also a significant difference of PAB value between male (129.89  35.76 HK) and female (170.46  44.47 HK), P value = 0.002. SerumPAB between night shiftworkers (151.1045.02 HK) and daytime nurses (153.4442.66 HK)was no significant. A significant relationship was observed between serum PAB value and gender in nurses. There was no significant correlation between age and serumPAB value.

The serumpro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) assaymay reflect oxidative stress in nurses. Females nursesmay be exposed greater level of oxidative stress than male nurses. In our study shift working did not affect serum PAB levels, but the PAB levels were different inmale and female groups.