Effects of shiftwork on superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) in Military Police Oficers

Background: stress is characterized by physical and emotional complains which are triggered as a response to stressors; but when it exceeds the normal steady state level it changes compensatory adaptative mechanisms beginning psychosomatic pathogenesis. Shiftwork work is a precursor of stress once it affects physical, psychological, social well-being as well as it modifyies sleep quality inducing drastic changes on body’s biological rhythms. The Military Police work in a shiftwork and are significantly exposed to stress. Aims: this study aimed to assess the Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity among police officers from a Brazilian city. Subjects and Methods: It was performed a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study covering subjects from the 2nd Military Police battalion in Mato Grosso, Legal Amazon, Brazil. Two validated questionnaires were used to charactherize the studied population and sleeping disorders, and stress was evaluated by the Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults by Lipp (LSSI). In a subsample of those police officers blood were collected and serum CuZn-SOD(E.C.1.15.1.1) levels were determined. Results: Among military officers who shiftwork, one third had impaired SOD activity. However, the impaired SOD activity was higher among police officers who did not shiftwork (42%). Conclusions: Shifwork can give phagocytes a chance to resynthesize SOD which is a biomarker of the respiratory burst activity which is an essential key against microbial pathogens. Shiftwork had positive effects decreasing the burden of oxidative stress.