Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most frequent chronic inflammatory disease with unknown aetiology. Despite the established diagnostic criteria for the classification of RA, clinicians still have diagnostic problems, especially at the early stage of the disease. A search for marker antibodies of high diagnostic value still continues. For many years the only laboratory diagnostic criteria was the so-called classical rheumatoid factor – IgM RF, antibody of well-recognised and documented involvement in RA pathomechanism. From 2010 there are new laboratory parameter, which beside high specificity and peculiarity, has also a high prognostic value, is antibodies for citrullinated proteins ACPA. Their main value is their appearance many years before the first symptoms of the disease. Both the rheumatoid factor and ACPA antibodies have been routinely detected at the Institute of Rheumatology since they were first mentioned in the literature. Many attempts were taken to develop laboratory methods useful in diagnosis of rheumatic diseases. In our article we are trying to look into the history of this study.