Objective: To study the effect of early ecological immune enhanced enteral nutrition on nutritional status and immune function and intestinal mucosal barrier of the gastrointestinal fistula patients.  

Methods: The 54 patients with gastrointestinal fistula were randomized to ecological immune-enhanced enteral nutrition (EIEN group) 28 and parenteral nutrition (PN group) 26 respectively. The changes of immunity index and nutrition index and the index of intestinal mucosal barrier before ecological immune-enhanced enteral nutrition support and post ecological immunity enteral nutrition support in 7 days and 14days was determined.  

Results: Compared with the PN group, at the 7th days after EIEN nutritional support, the number of CD3 and CD4 positive cell and CD4/CD8 value and the plasma level of IgA and IgM and nutrition index such as plasma ALB, PA and TFN and intestinal mucosal barrier index（plasma D-lactate levels and endotoxin levels）in EIEN group recovered gradually to the normal level and were higher than those of the PN group (P<0.05). 

Conclusion: Ecological immune-enhanced enteral nutrition can improve cellular immunity function and humoral immunity and nutritional status and enhanced intestinal mucosal barrier in the gastrointestinal fistula patients.

Keywords: Ecological immune-enhanced enteral nutrition; Gastrointestinal fistula; Nutrition status; Immunity; Intestinal mucosal barrier