As such, these data suggest that the principle causative agents of osteomyelitis can elicit an imbalance in the expression of death-inducing and decoy TRAIL receptors by osteoblasts, with the induced expression of DR5 and/or DR4 on the surface of infected cells and a concomitant decrease in the production of the decoy receptor, OPG. The gene discussed is TNFRSF11B; the disease is osteomyelitis.