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