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Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in a variety of tumour cells, but not in most normal cells, and has attracted considerable attention for its potential use in cancer therapy. Recently, increasing evidence has shown that TRAIL is involved in inflammation, although much of this evidence is controversial. In this article, it is shown that TRAIL induces CXCL2, CCL4 and CCL20 secretion in a nuclear factor kappa B-dependent manner. The dominant negative constructs of tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain protein (TRADD) and tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 are unable to block TRAIL-induced chemokine up-regulation, and the dominant negative construct of TRADD may even enhance TRAIL-triggered signals. Using small interfering RNA, receptor interacting protein has been demonstrated to be essential for TRAIL-induced chemokine release. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase is involved in TRAIL-induced chemokine release without any effects on nuclear factor kappa B activation, suggesting that some unknown transcription factors may be activated by TRAIL. Using a xenograft tumour model, it has been illustrated that TRAIL can also induce chemokine release in vivo. Although these chemokines induced by TRAIL are inflammatory chemokines, their functions are not restricted to inflammation and require further examination. Our results indicate that attention should be paid to the side-effects of TRAIL treatment, not only in TRAIL-resistant but also in TRAIL-sensitive tumour cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]