HLA-C and autoimmune disease: Associations between MHC genes and autoimmune diseases have been reported in humans13, 14, 15 as well as animals.16, 17, 18 In one study in Doberman pinschers, two of the same DLA alleles suggested by our study to be protective for development of SARDS (DLA‐DQA1*00901 and DLA‐DQB1*00101) were also potentially protective against Doberman hepatitis.19 Like SARDS, Doberman hepatitis is a poorly understood disease seen more commonly in female dogs and hypothesized to have an autoimmune etiology.