Itoh, Yasuhiko, Shigemori, Tomoko, Igarashi, Tohru et al. · Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society · 2012 · DOI
This study looked at two conditions that cause long-term pain and exhaustion in children: fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers tested blood samples from children with each condition to see if they had similar immune system patterns. They found that while these conditions share some symptoms, they appear to have different immune system signatures, suggesting they may be separate diseases—though some children can have both.
This research addresses a critical diagnostic gap in pediatric ME/CFS, where children were historically misdiagnosed with behavioral problems rather than recognized organic illness. By identifying distinct immunological markers between FM and CFS, the study supports the validity of these as separate disease entities, potentially improving clinical recognition and appropriate treatment pathways for affected children. Understanding these differences helps legitimize CFS as a biological condition rather than a psychological one.
This study does not prove that ANA and anti-Sa antibodies cause CFS or that they are sufficient for diagnosis—only that they are more frequently present in CFS patients. The cross-sectional design cannot establish temporal relationships or whether these antibodies precede symptom onset. The small sample size limits generalizability, and the study does not address whether immunological differences predict treatment response or prognosis.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Itoh, Yasuhiko, Shigemori, Tomoko, Igarashi, Tohru, & Fukunaga, Yoshitaka (2012). Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome in children.. Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-200X.2011.03514.x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-itoh-2012-fibromyalgia-chronic,
author = {Itoh, Yasuhiko and Shigemori, Tomoko and Igarashi, Tohru and Fukunaga, Yoshitaka},
title = {Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome in children.},
journal = {Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1111/j.1442-200X.2011.03514.x},
note = {PubMed: 22115414},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/itoh-2012-fibromyalgia-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/itoh-2012-fibromyalgia-chronic
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