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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, which affects 0.5–1.0 % of adults. The aim of this thesis is to study accumulation and localization of endogenous porphyrins by means of spectroscopy and microscopy in experimental rheumatoid arthritis model and postoperative samples of patients after application of 5-aminolevulinic acid or its methyl ester. The spectroscopic measurements of endogenous porphyrins were performed in synoviocytes, chondrons and cartilage explants of patients with RA or osteoarthritis (OA) and in rabbit antigen induced arthritis model. The localization of endogenous porphyrins in synovium and cartilage tissues of rabbit knee joints was determined based on fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence intensity and lifetime microscopy, and histology imaging results. Studies showed that selective sensitization of inflamed synovium in the in vitro model may be achieved using ALA and ALA-Me, while in the in vivo model only using ALA-Me. The photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX induced by these precursors is accumulated in the cells of synovium and cartilage tissues. The results presented in this dissertation can be used anticipating to apply the sensitization with endogenous porphyrins for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the case of rheumatoid arthritis.