Rheumatoid arthritis (AR) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology that primarily involves joints. The arthritis is symmetrical, may be remitting, but if uncontrolled may lead to deformity and destruction of joints due to erosion of cartilage and bone. The disease usually progresses from the periphery to more the proximal joints , and in the majority of patients results in significant locomotor disability within 10 to 20 years . (Spectar et al 1990). Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are heterogenous group of autoantibodies with a wide and diverse range of clinical association . These antibodies have been detected in a varity of autoimmune disorders in general and with rheumatoid disease in particular (Kallenberg et al 1993 ). The present study was carried out to detect the correlation between ANCA in sera of RA patients and activity of the disease. In this study thirty patients with RA according to ACR revised criteria for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (1987) in addition to 15 individuals served as controls were collected from out patient clinic of rheumatology and rehabilitation of Bini Swif General Hospital , all were subjected to full history taking ,full general, neurological and muscluskletal examination assessment of disease activity as well as detection of serum ANCA teter using IIF technique. ANCA were detected in (12 patients) with RA (40%) and ANCA not detected in sera of control group. All ANCA +ve cases showed perinuclear pattern of staining (p- ANCA) ; while cytoplasmic pattern ( c ANCA ) was not detected in any of the studied patients. The results of the present study provide definite evidence that the prevalence of ANCA is significantly higher with long standing rheumatoid disease. There is no correlation between the disease activity and serum level of ANCA +ve. Thus, ANCA are not marker of early rheumatoid disease or predictor of development of the disease and also disease activity.