OBJECTIVE: To explore the pathogenesis of dampness syndrome by detecting the changes of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels. METHODS: Female Sprague Dawley rats were divided randomly into five groups according to the random number table: a normal group (GroupⅠ), an external dampness group (GroupⅡ), an internal dampness group (Group Ⅲ), and an external and internal dampness group (GroupⅣ). Twenty days after the model made, IL-2 and IL-8 levels were detected by radioimmunoassay method. RESULTS: The IL-2 and IL-8 levels among groups were significant (F=3.102, P< 0.05, respectively). In the GroupⅢ, the 24-hour wa ter and body weight were higher than that in the GroupⅣ (all P