EVALUATION OF TRANSGLUTAMINASE ACTIVITY IN SKIN

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To conveniently and highly sensitively detect transgluytaminase activity in the skin which is useful e.g. for evaluating skin texture or skin condition by employing a specimen acquired from the skin by a noninvasive method as a measuring object. SOLUTION: Transglutaminase activity in the skin as an index for relevant grasp of conditions of skin texture or of the skin and for evaluating the skin texture important to relevant skin care for maintaining healthy skin is detected conveniently and highly sensitively by the following steps: employing a specimen e.g. comprising a horny layer crude enzyme fraction acquired from the skin by a noninvasive method such as a tape stripping method, a surface biopsy, or the like, as a measuring object; and measuring the uptake of an amine compound into a substrate of transglutaminase by means of both an amine labeled with one component capable of forming a specific coupled pair and a pigment generative or fluorescence generative enzyme labeled with the other component.