In our analysis of preanalytical variables, we focused on total CD11b + CD33+ MDSC and M-MDSC because evaluation of both healthy individuals and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients demonstrated that the vast majority of MDSC were of the monocytic subtype, and very few were of the polymorphonuclear subtype. This evidence concerns the gene ITGAM and hepatocellular carcinoma.