Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of elderly simple chronic bronchitis treated by dryness differentiation. Method: Eighty cases of the simple chronic bronchitis were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group (n=40 each). The control group was given the treatment of anti-infective

expectorant and anti-cough. The observation group was received Qingzao Runfei decoction daily (decocted conventionally and given half by half). The treatment lasted 14 d. The score of lung injury induced by dryness syndrome was investigated. Level of serum interokin-6(IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) was detected. Result: After the treatment

the efficacy and the syndrome improvement in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group (P<0.01). The score of lung injury induced by dryness syndrome in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). The IL-6

TNF-α levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: In the autumn and winter

the diagnosis and treatment of the elderly simple chronic bronchitis by dryness differentiation could gain better efficacy.