Frontiers in endocrinologyOct 9, 2026

Night-shift work is linked to disrupted body clock genes and daily rhythm changes in female healthcare workers

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Oct 10, 2026

Abstract

A deregulated circadian gene panel, including CLOCK, TEF, PER1, and PER3, was identified in female healthcare workers exposed to night-shift schedules.

Night-shift work disrupts the circadian-melatonin axis due to chronic light exposure at night.
This disruption is associated with various health issues, including metabolic, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and cancer-related disorders.
The circadian gene panel identified suggests potential transcriptional changes in night-shift workers.
The study also investigated the role of the non-canonical circadian transcription factor YY1.

Simplified

Night-shift work disrupts the circadian-melatonin axis through chronic light-at-night exposure and has been associated with metabolic, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and cancer-related disorders, but peripheral molecular signatures of occupational chronodisruption remain incompletely characterized. Female healthcare workers (HCWs), frequently exposed to prolonged night-shift schedules, represent a relevant study population. In a previous computational study, we identified a deregulated circadian gene panel (CLOCK, TEF, PER1, and PER3) suggestive of transcriptional remodeling in exposed workers. Here, we experimentally validated this signature and investigated the non-canonical circadian transcription factor YY1.