Objective: To probe correlativity of Spleen-Stomach Damp-Heat Syndrome of chronic superficial gastritis with aquaporin 3 （AQP3）. Methods: Among 88 cases of chronic superficial gastritis

75 cases were spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome and 13 cases were spleen deficiency

and 10 health students were selected as normal control group. AQP3 gene expression on gastric mucosa was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR method. Results: there were significant differences between the normal persons and the patients with chronic superficial gastritis （P<0. 01）

and between the normal persons and the patient of spleenstomach damp-heat syndrome （P<0. 05） in the expression rate of AQP3 （P<0. 01）; and between the normal persons and the patient of spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome （P<0. 05）

but there was no significant difference in AQP3 gene expression between the spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome and spleen-deficiency syndrome （P>0. 05）; but the ratio of the AQP3 positive patients of chronic superficial gastritis of spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome with the symptoms of dry mouth with little less drink

loose and sluggish stool were higher than that in AQP3 negative patients （P<0. 01 or P<0. 05）; but there was no difference between the AQP3 positive patients and the negative patients in the symptoms of dry mouth

bitter mouth

nausea. anorexia

abdominal distention and pain （P<0. 05）; the ratio of AQP3 positive patients of chronic superficial gastritis with spleenstomach damp-heat syndrome was higher than that of AQP3 negative group （P<0. 05）. The ratio of the AQP3 positive patients of chronic superficial gastritis with dampness over heat was higher than that of AQP3 negative patients of chronic superficial gastritis with spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome （P<0. 05）. Conclusion: The AQP3 gene expression are closely related with most symptoms of spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome

and AQP3 gene expression plays a certain role in the occurrence of spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome.