Validation of Serbian version of UCLA Scleroderma Clinical Trial Consortium Gastrointestinal Tract Instrument in 104 patients with systemic sclerosis

Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is the leading cause of morbidity with great impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The UCLA-GIT 2.0 is a disease-specific HRQOL instrument for the assessment of GI symptoms severity in patients with SSc. We evaluated reliability and validity of the Serbian version of UCLA-GIT 2.0 by assessing association of GI involvement and other disease manifestations in patients with SSc. UCLA-GIT 2.0 was adapted into Serbian and administered to 104 patients with SSc who had previously completed the SF-36 questionnaire. We evaluated the internal consistency reliability and associations between the UCLA-GIT 2.0 and SF-36 scales. Data from patients' medical history were reviewed for other disease manifestations. UCLA-GIT 2.0 had acceptable reliability (defined as Cronbach's alpha > 0 .69) and the majority of hypothesized correlations with SF-36 scale scores were of moderate magnitude (coefficient ae<yen> 0.30). Active disease and pulmonary fibrosis were associated with higher GIT Total scale score (p < 0.05). Distension mostly correlated with HRQOL impairment (r = 0.70, p < 0.001). The Serbian version of the UCLA-GIT 2.0 questionnaire has acceptable reliability and validity for the assessment of GI involvement in patients with SSc. GI impairment is very frequent in patients with active SSc, as well in those with pulmonary fibrosis.