DNA Repair Activity in the Skin of Day and Night Shift Workers

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Skin Cancer
• Interventions: Radiation: Ultraviolet B Radiation; Other: No Ultraviolet B Radiation

• Registration Number: NCT04122456
• Lead Sponsor: Wright State University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test how the skin of night shift workers responds to artificial sunlight (ultraviolet B radiation; UVB) at two different times of the day in comparison to normal day shift workers. After the skin biopsies are obtained, they will be brought to the laboratory to be exposed to UVB radiation and to measure UVB responses.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2019-10-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-10-08
• Study First Posted: 2019-10-10
• Study Start: 2022-12-07
• Status Verified: 2025-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-02-05
• Last Update Posted: 2025-02-06
• Primary Completion: 2025-12
• Study Completion: 2025-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 48

Inclusion Criteria

• Male/Female
• Fair skin (Fitzpatrick types I and II)
• Age 18 to 40
• Able to comprehend procedures/risks
• Primarily work and are awake during normal daylight hours (6 am to 6 pm), or primarily work and are awake during night shifts hours (between the hours of 6 pm and 6 am) or may work a mixture of these shifts over the past 3 months. Rotating shifts will be categorized based on the majority of hours worked on average during the last 3 months. Able to fill out a 3-month calendar of work schedule.

Exclusion Criteria

• Known photosensitivity
• Currently on photosensitizing medications
• Diabetes Mellitus
• On any hormonal agents (e.g., birth control pills)
• History of abnormal scarring
• History of skin infections
• History of skin cancers
• History of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or insomnia
• Known allergy to lidocaine local anesthetic
• Pregnancy or nursing
• Other serious health issues

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Day Shift Work Schedule	No Ultraviolet B Radiation	Day shift worker skin biopsies will be exposed to artificial sunlight (ultraviolet B radiation; UVB) at the laboratory.
Night Shift Work Schedule	Ultraviolet B Radiation	Night shift worker skin biopsies will be exposed to artificial sunlight (ultraviolet B radiation; UVB) at the laboratory.
Night Shift Work Schedule	No Ultraviolet B Radiation	Night shift worker skin biopsies will be exposed to artificial sunlight (ultraviolet B radiation; UVB) at the laboratory.
Day Shift Work Schedule	Ultraviolet B Radiation	Day shift worker skin biopsies will be exposed to artificial sunlight (ultraviolet B radiation; UVB) at the laboratory.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Expression level of the DNA repair factor XPA at two times of the day in the skin of day and night shift workers.	After 1 hour incubation from ultraviolet B radiation exposure.	Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry will be used to measure XPA expression at the mRNA and protein level, respectively, in skin samples obtained at 8 am and 4 pm.
Activation of DNA damage kinase signaling pathways at two times of the day in the skin of day and night shift workers.	After 1 hour incubation from ultraviolet B radiation exposure.	Immunohistochemistry is used to measure DNA damage kinase signaling (phosphorylated Chk1 and p53) in the skin samples obtained at 8 AM and 4 PM.
Expression levels of core clock genes at two times of the day in the skin of day and night shift works.	After 1 hour incubation from ultraviolet B radiation exposure.	Reverse Transcription Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is used to measure the core circadian clock gene expression at the mRNA level in the skin samples obtained at 8 AM and 4 PM.
Activity of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system at two times of the day in day and night shift workers.	After 1 hour incubation from ultraviolet B radiation exposure.	A biochemical assay of nucleotide excision repair is used to measure NER in the skin samples obtained at 8 AM and 4 PM.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Wright State Physicians; 🇺🇸 Fairborn, Ohio, United States