The clinical and pathological features of toxic encephalopathy caused by occupational 1,2-dichloroethane exposure

To understand the clinical and pathological features of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) toxic encephalopathy.The cases of 4 patients who were admitted to Xiangya hospital between January 8, 2008 and November 8, 2012 with diagnoses of DCE toxic encephalopathy were examined. We recorded data on gender, age of onset, exposure time to DCE, symptom onset to admission interval, symptom onset to worst symptom experience interval, and clinical manifestations, as well as cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and brain biopsy pathology results.All 4 patients had a history of DCE exposure and presented with symptoms of intracranial hypertension. Cranial MRI revealed extensive brain edema throughout the subcortical white matter, the bilateral globus pallidus, and the cerebellar dentate nuclei. The brain biopsy confirmed severe cerebral edema, including peripherovascular edema, with swelling of various cell types, with extensive glial cell necrosis. After treatment with steroids and mannitol (3-10 weeks), all 4 patients recovered, partially or completely.Severe brain edema and extensive glial cell necrosis were the main pathological features observed in the present cases, with a likely etiology of DCE toxicity. Early, prompt, and long-term treatment with dehydrating agents and glucocorticoids was an effective treatment for this condition.

Prediction of the Standard Gibbs Energy of Ion Transfer across the 1,2-Dichloroethane/Water Interface

The standard Gibbs energy of ion transfer at the 1,2-dichloroethane/water interface (ΔG_tr°^,W→O) was determined for 26 organic cations and 24 anions by means of ion-transfer voltammetry with a micro oil/water interface. Based on the data sets, a theoretical analysis was performed with the non-Bornian solvation model, in which the solvation energy of an organic ion is evaluated from local electric fields on the surface of the ion. The semi-empirical equations thus obtained are available for relatively accurate prediction of ΔG_tr°^,W→O for organic ions. The mean absolute error was 1.9 or 3.1 kJ mol^-1 for cations or anions, respectively, corresponding to the error of ∼20 or ∼30 mV in the standard ion-transfer potential. In this paper, energy decomposition has been performed to discuss different contributions to ΔG_tr°^,W→O from the "hydrated" (strongly charged) and positively and negatively charged "non-hydrated" (moderately charged) surfaces as well as from the hydrophobic interaction (cavity formation energy).