Aim: To investigate the effects of SNPs in the cyclophilin A/calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATs) pathway genes (PPIA, PPP3CB, PPP3R1, NFATC1 and NFATC2) on cyclosporine (CsA) efficacy in renal transplant recipients. Materials & methods: Seventy-six tag SNPs were detected in 155 CsA-treated renal recipients with at least a 5-year follow-up. The associations of SNPs with acute rejection, nephrotoxicity, pneumonia and estimated glomerular filtration rate post transplant were explored. Results: NFATC1 rs3894049 GC was a risk factor for acute rejection compared with CC carriers (p = 0.0005). NFATC1 rs2280055 TT carriers had a more stable estimated glomerular filtration rate level than CC (p = 0.0004). Conclusion: Detecting NFATC1 polymorphisms could help predict CsA efficacy in renal transplant patients.